HR & Payroll Officer

Are you an organised and people-focused HR professional with payroll experience who enjoys delivering excellent service and building strong working relationships?

We are seeking an enthusiastic HR & Payroll Officer to join our Human Resources team, playing a key role in supporting employees, clergy, managers and senior leaders across the Diocese of Oxford. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to meaningful work, ensuring our people are supported through efficient payroll, recruitment, learning and development, and employee lifecycle processes.

Salary: £ 37,751.95 – £40,655.94 per annum

Salary band: L

Hours: 37 hours per week (1 FTE)

Contract:  Permanent, full time

Location: Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GF

About the role:

This is a varied and rewarding role within a professional and collaborative HR team that supports both the Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance and Oxford Diocesan Board of Education. Reporting to the Head of HR, you will provide reliable, confidential and people-centred HR and payroll support that helps employees, clergy and leaders do their best work.

As HR & Payroll Officer, you will play a key role in delivering recruitment and onboarding activities, supporting managers through safer recruitment processes, coordinating learning and development initiatives, and helping employees grow and thrive within the organisation. You will also support performance review processes, maintain HR systems and records, and contribute to the continuous improvement of HR services across the Diocese.

Alongside HR responsibilities, you will be the first point of contact for payroll-related matters, ensuring the accurate and timely administration of employee and clergy payrolls, pensions, benefits, grants and associated processes. Working closely with colleagues in Finance, Area Offices, the Church Commissioners and external payroll providers, you will help maintain robust controls and ensure compliance with statutory and organisational requirements.

This role offers the opportunity to work across the full employee lifecycle while building expertise in both HR and payroll. It is ideal for someone who enjoys balancing attention to detail with relationship-building and who takes pride in delivering a high-quality service.

About you:

We are looking for an experienced HR and payroll professional who is highly organised, accurate and customer-focused, with a passion for providing excellent support and advice. You will be comfortable managing multiple priorities, handling sensitive information with discretion and working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will bring experience of HR administration and payroll processing within a busy organisational environment, together with strong communication skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

You will also have:

• Sound knowledge of generalist HR practices and payroll administration.
• Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment legislation and HMRC requirements relating to payroll, tax and statutory payments.
• Experience supporting recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, employee relations and performance management activities.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications, and experience using HR management systems and payroll systems.
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail, particularly when working with payroll and employee data and maintaining accurate employee records.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

A CIPD and/or CIPP qualification or membership would be advantageous, although applications are welcomed from candidates with transferable skills and experience.

You do not need to be a practising Christian to work with us. Around half of our staff are not practising Christians, but all are comfortable working within the Christian ethos and values that underpin our work.

Benefits and rewards:

• 25 days holiday per annum, rising each year by one day to a maximum of 30 days
• In addition to the statutory UK public holidays, the Diocese offers three additional discretionary leave days
• Hybrid working
• Generous employer pension contribution of 12.5%, including 1% death in service benefit (5% Employee Contribution)
• Access to wellbeing support via Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced family friendly policies and a generous sick pay provision
• Access to low interest financial services from Churches Mutual Credit Union including loans
• Opportunities for professional development and training
• A supportive and collaborative working environment committed to helping people flourish

How to apply:

Please email your completed application form, recruitment monitoring form and a short cover letter detailing your suitability and interest in the role to recruitment@oxford.anglican.org  

Job Description | Application Form| Recruitment Monitoring Form | Privacy Notice

Closing date for receipt of applications: Midnight on Tuesday 18 November 2026

Interviews will take place at Church House, Oxford: Friday 27 November 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. If you do not hear from us, your application has not been successful. 

We want the Church of England’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion for all to be reflected in our staff. We are particularly keen to receive applications from UK Minority Ethnic / Global Majority heritage and disabled candidates, who are currently underrepresented. 

The Church of England is committed to the safeguarding, care, and nurture of everyone within our church community. In the Diocese of Oxford, we follow and are committed to the Church of England’s House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policies and the relevant statutory legislation and guidance, “Working together” to ensure the welfare of children and young people is paramount.