Regional Payroll Officer - British Embassy Manila

The British Embassy Manila is a large diplomatic mission delivering a dynamic and rapidly expanding programme of activity in support of the UK's objectives on prosperity, security and consular matters. The Embassy is a modern, diverse and inclusive employer where everyone contributes to the Embassy's values of Well-being, Opportunity, Respect and Collaboration.

Main purpose of job:

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a Corporate Services Centre consisting of a Global Transaction and Processing Centre and Regional Finance, Human Resources, and Procurement hubs, based in Manila. The HR Hub oversees 36 British Embassies, High Commissions and other Offices located in the Asia Pacific Region.

The HR hub is an integral part of the global HR team serving country based staff working in the overseas network for the UK Government. The Regional HR Hub provides key HR Services (recruitment, pay and reward, talent and performance management and HR enquiries) to customers in the region and provides a strategic and professional HR capability to support Regional Senior Leaders in delivery of business objectives.

The Payroll Officer will be responsible for processing and auditing payrolls and related payments including statutory reports for Country Based Staff working at British Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates located in the Asia Pacific. The jobholder will act as the point of contact for payroll-related enquiries and concerns, providing timely support and resolving issues. The role will report to the Regional Pay and Benefits Manager.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Payroll Service Delivery (70%)

•  Process payroll and other salary related payments for country based staff in the region
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing
• Perform crucial role in exercises such as the annual pay award, benefit or deduction updates, and final pay process
• Review, develop and document payroll procedures, providing advice to both staff and managers when needed
• Maintain data confidentiality for all payroll-related matters
• Work closely with Global Transaction Processing Centre in Manila in relation to the payment of payrolls

Quality (10%)

• Interpret HR policies and procedures and apply them to pay and benefits where applicable
• Take initiative to identify any areas for improving or automating the payroll processes
• Act as first point of contact for payroll, promptly addressing country based staff concerns and providing timely solutions
• Trouble shoot payroll-related issues, working closely with the stakeholders involved
• Perform Root Cause Analysis and incident reporting, including the implementation of preventive and corrective actions

Management Information Support (10%)

• Produce and analyse regular and ad-hoc payroll and statutory reports
• Maintain and organise payroll files in accordance to local and FCDO requirements

Communication (10%)

• Respond to enquiries and requests from internal and external stakeholders, applying strong proactive customer service skills
• Build networking skills and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the region
• Maintain open dialogue and foster good working relationships across different teams involved in service delivery
• Carry out ad-hoc tasks as necessary, including providing support on projects and other areas of focus for the Pay and Benefits Team

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Bachelor’s degree holder or equivalent
• At least 2 years’ experience in payroll and data management or similar field
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Proficient in al MS Office applications, with strong Microsoft Excel skills
• Ability to effectively prioritize work and responsibilities in a fast-paced environment
• Strong customer service and communication skills
• Analytical with good problem-solving skills
• Capable of working independently as well as part of a team

Language requirements:

Language: English

Level of language required: Strong written and spoken

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Experience and knowledge in processing payroll for Asia Pacific countries or other regions
• Experience of working in an international organisation and/or public sector
• Ability to produce metrics, reports and graphs

Please note that your application must be submitted before 23:55 on the 11 October 2024