The People & Culture Assistant role is to provide high-quality administrative and operational support across the colleague lifecycle, ensuring a great colleague experience, accurate HR data, and timely, compliant payroll processing. The role supports core People & Culture processes such as onboarding, recruitment, employee records, HR coordination, policy adherence, and payroll preparation, working closely with Finance and external payroll providers where relevant.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Payroll Support (Core)

• Support end-to-end payroll administration including monthly/weekly processing timelines, cut-offs, and payroll calendars.
• Collect, validate, and process payroll inputs such as:
• New starters, leavers, and employee changes (salary, bank details, address, tax status).
• Absence data (sick pay, parental leave, unpaid leave), overtime, commissions, bonuses, allowances, and deductions.
• Timesheets and approvals (where applicable).
• Ensure payroll inputs are accurate, authorised, and submitted on time to internal payroll/Finance teams or external providers.
• Support statutory payroll requirements (as applicable), including:
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Statutory Maternity/Paternity/Parental pay (SMP/SPP/ShPP), and other statutory payments.
• Assist with payroll queries and provide first-line support to colleagues, escalating complex issues appropriately.
• Support reconciliation activities such as checking payroll reports, variance checks, and maintaining audit trails.
• Coordinate distribution of payslips / payroll communications (in line with internal process).
• Maintain payroll documentation, trackers, and process notes for audit and continuity.

People Administration & Employee Lifecycle

• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding:
• Offer paperwork, right-to-work documentation, contracts/letters, inductions, system access requests, and leaver administration.
• Maintain accurate employee records across HRIS, payroll systems, and personnel files in line with data protection principles.
• Draft and issue standard documentation (e.g., employment letters, confirmations, contract changes, reference requests—within policy).
• Support probation administration, contract amendments, and general colleague lifecycle milestones
• Support with the recruitment process including booking in interviews and taking notes.

 HRIS, Reporting & Data Quality

• Update HR systems accurately and promptly, ensuring all employee changes are logged and auditable.
• Produce routine reports (headcount, starters/leavers, absence, training compliance, payroll input summary) for People & Culture and Finance.
• Maintain trackers and dashboards to support compliance and operational rhythm.

 Colleague Experience & ER Support (Admin Level)

• Act as a first point of contact for routine People queries (policies, benefits signposting, holiday queries, payroll queries).
• Support administration for employee relations processes (meeting invites, note-taking where appropriate, file management, letter templates).
• Schedule interviews, meetings, training sessions, and People initiatives.

Compliance, Policies & Governance

• Support adherence to People policies, internal controls, and employment compliance processes (e.g., RTW checks, documentation, training records).
• Ensure confidentiality and handle sensitive data appropriately, escalating data/security concerns promptly.
• Support internal audits and document management practices.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify process improvements in payroll and People operations to increase efficiency and accuracy.
• Contribute to improving templates, SOPs, and colleague communications.

Essential Skills:

• Experience in an HR/People/Payroll administration role (or strong administrative experience with payroll exposure
• Working knowledge of payroll inputs and monthly payroll cycle deadlines.
• High attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information appropriately.
• Strong organisational skills: able to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and competing priorities
• Confident communicator with a service-oriented approach.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Teams); comfortable working with HR systems.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience using HRIS and payroll platforms (e.g., [Cezanne / Workday / BambooHR / Sage / ADP / PayFit / Xero], etc.).
• Understanding of UK payroll basics (PAYE, NI, pensions auto‑enrolment) and statutory payments.
• Experience supporting audits, reconciliations, or finance collaboration.
• Interest in progressing a career in People Ops/HR/Payroll.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Excellent contributory pension scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Healthcare scheme
• Cycle To Work scheme
• Life Cover
• Online retail discounts
• Full training and development programme

The role is a mix of 2 home working days and 3 office-based days, candidates should therefore live within reasonable commutable distance of our Alderley Edge office. Working hours 9.00am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

Please note: We are unable to offer sponsorship or relocation for this role

Our Commitment to Inclusion:

At QBS, we believe diversity isn’t just a box to tick, it’s the engine that drives innovation, creativity, and growth. We’re building a culture where everyone belongs, every voice is heard, and every perspective is valued.

We welcome people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, because we know that different ways of thinking make us stronger. Whether you’re starting your career or bringing decades of experience, what matters most is your passion, potential, and willingness to make an impact.