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Exciting Payroll Opportunities at West Sussex County Council

Be part of a major transformation project!

West Sussex County Council is embarking on an ambitious systems‑implementation project, and as part of this journey they are recruiting a number of fantastic fixed‑term payroll roles (until January 2027). This is a rare opportunity to be right at the centre of a major modernisation programme that will reshape how payroll and HR services are delivered across the council.

These roles offer competitive salaries, a people‑centred and values‑driven culture, and the flexibility of hybrid working (1–2 days a week in the office), creating the ideal blend of stability, purpose and work‑life balance.

What makes these opportunities stand out is the chance to contribute to something genuinely transformative. Whether you're supporting payroll operations, developing specialist expertise or guiding a team through change, you’ll be part of a collaborative, supportive environment that puts trust, customer focus and continuous improvement at the heart of everything it does.

You’ll be joining services that thousands of council staff and school employees rely on every month, meaning your work has real community impact. And with the whole function moving through an exciting period of innovation and system change, you’ll gain experience that will stay with you throughout your career.

If you're looking for a role where your work matters, and where you can grow, contribute and be part of positive change, these fixed‑term payroll positions with West Sussex County Council are outstanding opportunities.

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Key Documents

Payroll, Pensions and HR Administrator - Job Description Payroll Officer - Job Description Payroll Team Leader - Job Description

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Job details

Payroll Team Leader

Location: Chichester

Salary/Rate: £39-42,800 per annum (DOE)

Type: Permanent

Closing Date:

Job Reference: 4770571

Payroll Team Leader, Chichester, Contract, Hybrid, £39-42,800 + Benefits

The Role
In this role, you’ll lead a team of payroll professionals, ensuring the efficient, accurate and compliant delivery of payroll and HR administration services. You’ll manage complex payroll and pension queries, drive continuous improvement across systems and processes, and play a key part in service‑wide initiatives in a fast‑paced environment. This is a hybrid position working in the office 1 or 2 days per week.

What Makes This Opportunity Stand Out
  • You’ll lead in an environment that champions innovation.
    We’re investing in new systems, automation and smarter ways of working—and you’ll be at the centre of that progress.
  • You’ll join a culture that values people.
    With strong organisational values—Trust & Support, Customer Centred, Honest & Realistic—you’ll be part of a workplace that genuinely cares.
  • You’ll collaborate with expert teams.
    You’ll work closely with HR & OD colleagues, external partners and specialists across pensions, pay and complex employment conditions.
  • Your work will have a real community impact.
    What you do every day supports services that reach more than 850,000 residents—giving your role purpose and meaningful influence.

Your Impact
In this role, you’ll lead and develop a high‑performing team, ensuring consistent, high‑quality service delivery. You’ll resolve complex technical cases, contribute to key improvement projects such as payroll system enhancements, and build strong working relationships across the organisation and with external partners. Through your leadership, payroll processes will remain efficient, compliant and truly customer‑centred.

About You
You’re someone who thrives on responsibility, teamwork and problem‑solving. You bring:
  • Strong leadership skills — supporting, mentoring and developing others.
  • Advanced knowledge of payroll and pensions — ideally within Local Government or another public sector environment.
  • Analytical precision — strong numeracy, accurate calculation skills and confidence working with complex data.
  • Technical proficiency — including experience with SAP or similar systems and advanced Excel skills such as VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables and formulae.
  • Excellent communication — able to translate complex information into clear guidance for colleagues and customers.
  • A continuous improvement mindset — always looking for ways to enhance processes, systems and service quality.
  • Professional expertise — supported by a CIPP qualification (or equivalent experience) and a solid understanding of relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
Above all, you’re committed to delivering a service that is efficient, reliable and customer‑centred—every single time.

Why Join Us
  • Competitive package including pension scheme
  • Generous annual leave with options to purchase additional days
  • Flexible working arrangements
  • Volunteering opportunities
  • Training, development, coaching and mentoring
  • Retail, leisure and gym discounts
  • Staff networks and recognition schemes
  • Health and wellbeing support, including Employee Assistance Programme and optional health plans
- Charlotte Chambers

Contact: Charlotte Chambers

Office: 1st floor South, Telephone House, 18 Christchurch Rd

Phone: 0333 010 5714

Email: charlotte.chambers@hays.com

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