Gateshead Council
Payroll and HR Support Assistant
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Payroll and HR Support Services Assistant - Fixed Term Contract until 31/03/2027
Supporting our people through exceptional payroll and HR service.
Who We Are & What We Stand For
Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might be the perfect match.
We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time.
We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.
At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi-time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.
Join a team that keeps essential people services running smoothly.
The Financial Management Service plays a vital role in ensuring the strong financial health, governance, and operational resilience of Gateshead Council. Bringing together Corporate Finance, Group Finance, Strategic Finance, Internal Audit, Insurance and Risk, and a wide range of support services including payroll and HR, the service provides the insight, assurance, and expertise that underpin effective decisionmaking across the organisation. By safeguarding resources, maintaining high-performing financial systems, and delivering robust professional advice, the service enables the council to operate confidently, sustainably, and compliantly in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment.
Behind every successful workforce is a great support team.
Are you highly organised, customer-focused and passionate about delivering an excellent administrative service? We are looking for a Payroll and HR Support Services Assistant to join our friendly and supportive team, playing a vital role in ensuring employees receive accurate and timely pay, pension and HR support.
This is a varied and rewarding role where you'll provide essential payroll, HR and administrative support, working with colleagues, managers and external organisations to deliver a high-quality service. From processing payroll and pensions information to supporting recruitment administration, maintaining records and responding to customer enquiries, you'll help ensure our people services run smoothly and effectively. If you enjoy working with detail, solving problems and providing outstanding customer service, we'd love to hear from you.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What You'll Get To Do
- Deliver high-quality payroll, pension and HR administration support.
- Provide excellent customer service to employees, managers and external customers.
- Maintain accurate employee records and produce reports using a range of systems.
- Support payroll processing, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.
- Assist with pension scheme administration and employee enquiries.
- Support recruitment processes, including job adverts and DBS checks.
- Contribute to a professional, efficient and customer-focused support service.
What You'll Bring
- A good standard of education, including English and Maths (GCSE Grade AC / 94 or equivalent), or can demonstrate equivalent relevant experience.
- Confidence using Microsoft Office applications and digital systems to manage information accurately and efficiently.
- Strong organisational skills and a keen eye for detail, ensuring work is completed to a high standard.
- An enjoyment for working as part of a supportive team and building positive relationships with colleagues and customers.
- Ability to effectively manage your workload and remain focused when working to strict deadlines and service standards.
- Pride in delivering excellent customer service and maintaining high levels of accuracy.
What’s In It For You
- Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
- Outstanding Pension Scheme: We don’t just offer a great salary we invest in your future too. Find out what benefits a Local Government Pension provides: https://twpf.info.
- Generous Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years (2 of which can be fixed by the Council), plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
- Flexible Working Hours: Benefit from up to 26 flexi days per year (subject to business needs), giving you more control over your time.
- Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
- Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
- Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
- Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
- Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to drive (after 12 months service).
- Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics, and more, helping you spread the cost of essential purchases (after 6 months service).
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Our commitment to you
We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. We know that we deliver better services when our workforce reflects the full range of backgrounds and experiences in the society we serve. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
How To Apply
You can apply online using the apply now button below. Within the form, you’ll be asked for details about you, your career history, skills, experiences and qualifications.
We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.
If you have any questions about your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team via
Please note: As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. However, in high-volume recruitment situations, it may not always be practicable to interview every eligible candidate. In such cases, we may need to prioritise those who best meet the essential criteria, based on the information provided in the application.
Additionally, the Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early or adjust the shortlisting criteria, including the pass mark for interview selection, to ensure a fair and manageable recruitment process. We encourage early applications.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills