Payroll Officer

Job Description

Flexible working: Due to the nature of the work, home working is not
available. However, we recognise the importance of a healthy work-life
balance and offer a variety of flexible working arrangements, including
full-time, part-time and compressed hours. We also support flexible
start and finish times to help you balance your personal and
professional commitments.
About us
MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats such as terrorism and
attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and its way of life. We
carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing
intelligence, and then work with a range of partners including MI6 and
GCHQ, to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we
provide advice and guidance to government, businesses and other
organisations on how to keep themselves safe.
A role in MI5 means you will do unique and challenging work in a
supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to
UK national security.
The role

As a vital member of our HR department, you will help ensure colleagues
in the UK and abroad are paid accurately and on time. You will respond to
policy queries, processing HR requests and offering general guidance as
part of a supportive team dedicated to delivering a great experience for
our colleagues.
Day-to-day, the work involves speaking with colleagues across the
organisation who need advice, support and timely action on their
requests. This includes managing and prioritising a range of tasks,
processing HR requests, responding to policy queries and providing
clear guidance, while ensuring all actions are completed promptly and in
line with compliance standards. There is also a clear focus on improving
our processes and working closely with teams across HR, including
Pensions and Finance, as well as Payroll teams at GCHQ, MI6, and
HMRC.
A period of four years within the HR department is required for this
post. During this time, you will have opportunities to move into different
roles across the department, allowing you to develop new skills and
gain broader experience. After this period, further progression, either
within HR or across the wider organisation, will be shaped by your
interests and the direction in which you’d like your career to grow.
For the Cheltenham position, the post is based in GCHQ’s offices in
Cheltenham, while employment is with MI5.
About you
You will need a minimum of one year experience in payroll or finance
and be confident in the fundamentals of the role, including using online
systems (with training) and working in line with compliance
requirements. As many of our queries involve working with numbers,

such as calculating payments , you will also need to be comfortable
handling basic data and machine intelligence.
Your written communication skills will be key, as a large part of the role
involves responding to colleague queries, explaining specialist terms
and providing clear, helpful answers via our online ticketing system.
Effective verbal communication skills will also support collaboration
with HR colleagues, both within Payroll and across the wider team.
Since our colleagues are our customers, you will be motivated to provide
an excellent service, using your initiative to identify and implement
solutions. Adaptability is also important, as the role requires moving
between tasks and prioritising effectively, while working collaboratively
and supporting teammates.
Training and development
We are passionate about your development and provide a range of
opportunities to help you grow. You will get a full induction and training to
ensure you feel confident carrying out your day-to-day responsibilities,
along with opportunities to gain experience across different HR
disciplines. There is also the option to complete internal and external
training courses relevant to your role, and access to a mentor who will
support and encourage your ongoing development.
During your time in the team, there may be opportunities to study for a
CIPP or CIPD qualification, depending on available funding. You will also
have the freedom to shape the direction of your career and apply for
roles across the organisation, including within wider Corporate Services,
Vetting and more.