People Payroll & Operations Assistant - 12 month FTC

About us

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them. 

The Payroll Assistant provides critical operational support across the employee lifecycle, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant payroll and people processes. It requires professional judgement, initiative and specialist knowledge to resolve queries, maintain data integrity and deliver seamless end to end processes.

Working within a structured, detail focused environment, the role manages multiple priorities to a high standard of accuracy and service. It also supports continuous process improvement and collaborates across teams to deliver efficient, organisation wide solutions.

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What you’ll be doing… 

• Manage end-to-end payroll administration within the ERP system, ensuring accurate data input and timely monthly payments and pension forecasts.
• Ensure payroll processes comply with internal governance, statutory requirements and HMRC regulations.
• Respond to complex payroll and HR queries via the People Service helpdesk, exercising sound judgement and resolving issues independently.
• Advise line managers and employees on the interpretation and application of HR policies, escalating sensitive or non-standard cases where appropriate.
• Deliver onboarding sessions for new employees, covering People policies, systems, benefits and pensions, and act as an initial point of contact.
• Administer relocation support in line with policy, including claim assessment, formal approvals and recovery calculations in liaison with Finance.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and employee guidance.
• Ensure GDPR-compliant data handling and secure document management within SharePoint.
• Act as the operational liaison between UKAEA and outsourced pension providers for pension quotations and related queries.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure audit-ready documentation across payroll, pensions and People operations.

• Proven experience in payroll, HR operations or shared services within a medium-to-large organisation
• Strong working knowledge of employment and payroll legislation, including statutory leave, pensions and GDPR requirements.
• Experience using ERP and HRIS systems, with excellent IT skills including Microsoft Excel and digital document management platforms.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail within high-volume, regulated environments, delivering end-to-end process excellence to deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex policies and calculations to employees and stakeholders.

We have a generous range of benefits (see the full list here) and highlights include:   

• £29328 base salary 
• Up to 7% corporate performance bonus 
• Final salary defined benefits pension scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution  
• 25 days annual leave, 2.5 privilege days and 8 Bank Holidays   
• 3 days of site closure over Christmas break  
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions  

Our commitment to ED&I  

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce.    

We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit. Further information can be found here.