System Development Officer (Payroll) - 37 Hours
Application Deadline: 15 November 2026
Department: Corporate Services
Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Torbay Council
Reporting To: Team Manager
Compensation: £36,581 - £39,481 / year
Description
Job Description & Person Specification > Torbay Council is a small unitary authority, which means we are able to respond quickly, embrace change and make things happen. There is always something new and interesting taking place, and we have a strong sense of purpose and ambition for the future. If you share that ambition, we would love you to join us.
This is an exciting opportunity to join our Payroll team as a Systems Development Officer, helping us develop, improve and make the most of the systems that underpin our payroll and HR services.
We are looking for someone who combines a strong practical understanding of payroll with a real interest in systems and technology. You will need experience of working within payroll and an understanding of how systems support payroll processing, together with the enthusiasm to help us improve the way we work.
Working as part of a small, solutions-focused development team, you will help identify opportunities for improvement, investigate problems and implement new functionality. This is a varied and fast-paced role where collaboration, problem solving, curiosity and a willingness to learn are key.
You'll have the opportunity to:
- Develop and improve ResourceLink (our HR and Payroll software) and our wider HR systems, helping us get more from the technology we already have.
- Use your payroll knowledge to solve problems, investigate issues and make sure system changes work effectively in practice and compliant with HMRC.
- Find better ways of working, identifying opportunities for automation, efficiency and continuous improvement.
- Turn payroll and HR needs into practical system solutions, supporting configuration, testing, upgrades and new developments.
- Help develop our reporting and insight, including our growing use of Power BI.
About you
You might already be working in payroll and have developed a real interest in the systems behind it, or you may be working with payroll systems and want the opportunity to get more involved in development and improvement. Either way, you will have a good practical understanding of payroll and experience of working with payroll software, together with the curiosity to understand why things work the way they do and how they could work better.
You will enjoy investigating problems, finding practical solutions and working with others to turn payroll and HR requirements into system improvements. You do not need to know everything from day one. We are looking for someone who is analytical, accurate and comfortable learning, questioning existing processes and contributing their own ideas.
Experience of ResourceLink would be particularly useful, but it is not essential. If you have good payroll knowledge and experience of another payroll system, we would still very much like to hear from you.
Above all, we are looking for someone who understands payroll and payroll systems and is excited by the opportunity to use technology to make payroll better.
All team members currently work from home on a permanent basis, although an office-based working environment can also be accommodated if preferred. Applications are welcomed from candidates across the UK.
If you are viewing this advert on a job board, you can access the full job description by placing the below URL into your browser:
https://www.torbay.gov.uk/jobs/job-descriptions/system-development-officer-payroll
For an informal chat please contact Darren Mathers on 01803 207398 or darren.mathers@torbay.gov.uk.
Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 23rd November 2026.
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
At times there is a need to close our adverts earlier than the date specified, however this advert will not close before 3rd November. If you are keen to submit an application, please apply as soon as possible.
Skills
Essential:
- Experience of payroll processing and producing a cyclical payroll.
- Ability to work under own initiative.
- Ability to work on projects within timescales and resource limits.
- Ability to react to changing priorities and deadlines.
- High levels of accuracy with the ability to deal with high volumes of detail and data driven workload.
Knowledge
Essential:
- Knowledge and up to date experience of working with ICT, HR and Payroll systems.
- Knowledge of producing specifications for report writing.
- Knowledge of applying system updates and testing systems.
Experience & Qualifications
Essential:
- Experience of working in an ICT helpdesk type role, providing technical support and guidance resolving queries as necessary.
- Experience of system administration and development of a system which contains sensitive and confidential information.
- Experience of reviewing and improving systems and processes.
- Experience of delivering ICT training to work colleagues and customer.
- Educated to GCSE qualifications standard, to include Maths and English at Grade C or above, or equivalent.
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