HR and Payroll Officer

Location: South Farnham Educational Trust, Farnham Surrey (may require travel to other sites occasionally)
Salary: 21 - 25 (£30,905 - £34,615 actual salary), commensurate with experience (there will be a 3.3% rise applied to salaries with effect from September 2026) Contract: All year round, permanent (we are willing to consider a 42-week contract which will be paid pro-rata) 

About the Role 

South Farnham Educational Trust (SFET) is seeking an organised, proactive and detail-oriented HR & Payroll Officer to join our central team and support the delivery of high-quality HR and payroll services across the Trust. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an HR professional with experience in people administration, recruitment, payroll and employee records who is looking to develop their career within a successful and growing Multi Academy Trust. 

Working closely with the HR Director, school leaders, the Finance Team and external providers, you will play a key role in ensuring that HR and payroll processes are delivered accurately, efficiently and in line with employment legislation, safeguarding requirements and Trust policies. The role offers a varied workload and the opportunity to support multiple schools across the Trust. 

As a key member of the central team, you will: 

• Coordinate end-to-end recruitment administration, onboarding and pre-employment checks. 
• Support the administration of contracts, contractual changes and employee records. 
• Act as a key liaison with external payroll and pension providers, including EPM. 
• Prepare and validate monthly payroll information, ensuring accuracy and compliance. 
• Support pension administration and respond to payroll and pension enquiries. 
• Monitor and respond to HR and payroll mailbox enquiries, providing a professional and responsive service. 
• Support employee relations processes, including absence management, disciplinary, grievance and capability procedures. 
• Maintain HR systems, workforce data and compliance records, including the Single Central Record. 
• Produce reports and workforce information to support effective decision-making across the Trust. 
• Work collaboratively with Headteachers, school administrators and Finance colleagues to support staffing and operational requirements. 

About You 

We are looking for someone who: 

• Holds a CIPD Level 3 qualification. 
• Has experience working in an HR, payroll or people administration role. 
• Has experience supporting recruitment, onboarding and employee record management. 
• Demonstrates excellent organisational skills and attention to detail. 
• Is confident using Microsoft Office and HR/payroll systems. 
• Can manage confidential information with professionalism, integrity and discretion. 
• Has the ability to prioritise a busy workload and meet deadlines. 
• Is committed to delivering a professional, responsive and customer-focused HR service. 
• Builds positive working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. 
• Ideally has experience within an education or Multi Academy Trust environment. 

Why Join Us? 

SFET is a high-performing and growing Multi Academy Trust with a strong reputation for collaboration and excellence. 

You will join a supportive and professional central team, with the opportunity to: 

• Make a real impact across multiple schools 
• Develop your HR career within a forward-thinking Trust 
• Work in a varied and rewarding role with both operational and advisory responsibilities 

Key Statistics 

• 11 schools (primary and secondary). 2 additional schools joining 01/07/26 
• 5074 pupils 
• 716 employees 
• 716 ECTs trained/assessed 
• 201 trainee teachers 

Interested? 

To find out more about this exciting opportunity, please send your completed application form to our HR mailbox (please download the "advert" document which includes a contact email address)

We welcome visits to the Trust, please contact our Central HR Team to arrange a visit or for further information. 

Deadline date: Monday 13th July 2026 

Interviews will be dependent on applications received so early applications are encouraged 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a strong response