Working Arrangement: This is a hybrid role with a mix of home and office-based working at Trafford Town Hall in Stretford.

Join a busy and highly respected HR and Payroll Transactions Team that supports over 20,000 employees across Greater Manchester. Every month, we process approximately 8,000 payroll and contractual changes, helping to ensure that Council employees, Police officers and staff, teachers, school personnel and leisure service colleagues receive accurate and timely support throughout their employment journey.

As part of our professional Shared Services team, you will play a key role in supporting colleagues throughout the employee lifecycle. You'll manage a variety of HR and payroll transactions, ensuring changes are processed accurately and efficiently while delivering an excellent customer experience. No two days are quite the same, offering the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge and make a real difference to the people we support.

About You

Our ideal candidate will have:

Excellent customer service skills and a commitment to delivering positive outcomes for customers and colleagues.

Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain information clearly and confidently.

Experience working within a HR Shared Services, payroll or administrative environment.

A keen eye for detail and the ability to manage a high volume of work accurately.

Good IT skills, including experience using Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Excel and Word.

A willingness to learn and develop within a professional HR and payroll service.

No candidate will meet every single desired requirement. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified and you think you can bring value of the role, we’d love to learn more about you.

Further details are contained within the job description and person specification. The job description has been signposted to indicate at which stage of the process each criteria will be tested.

Any appointment made to this role will be subject to the appointable candidate being vetted under Greater Manchester Police clearance processes. A requirement of the vetting process is a minimum of 3 years residency in the UK.

Additional Information

This advert may close early if we receive a high number of applications, so please apply as soon as possible.

No candidate will meet every single desired requirement. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified and you think you can bring value of the role, we’d love to learn more about you.

Find Out More.

Further details are contained within the job description and person specification. The job description has been signposted to indicate at which stage of the process each criterion will be tested.

If you have any questions or would like an informal chat you can get in contact with the hiring manager, Carol McBurnie (Service Delivery Manager) on 07580 697942.

About the benefits

You will be welcomed into a friendly environment where your development will be encouraged. The post includes a generous paid annual leave allowance plus bank holidays.

To help you balance your work commitment with other priorities, you will be able to complete your contracted hours flexibly within agreed parameters. Whilst there may be a requirement for you to visit our offices on a regular basis, post holders will also have the option to complete some of their working week at home, if desired.

Successful candidates will also have access to our pension scheme, with substantial employer contributions, and to a range of other benefits.

About us...

Greater Manchester Shared Services provide payroll and HR support to over 20,000 internal and external customers, including teachers, staff, police officers, leisure trusts and volunteers. With over 18 payrolls per month, tailored to meet the needs of our customers, our aim is to provide first class payroll, pension, and transactional HR services to the workforce.

Created in 2017 as the result of a pioneering partnership between Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Police. Our shared ambition is to create a compelling alternative to private sector payroll and pension administration.

Our services are delivered by a workforce which is second to none, well qualified individuals with a passion for customer service and outstanding technical knowledge.

The core values which are embedded within our service delivery model are:

  • Innovation; Leading the way
  • Integrity; doing the right thing
  • Individual; everything starts with you
  • Integrated; together we will

Key Information...

  • Pre-Employment Checks: If offered a role, as a minimum we’ll need to verify your right to work in the UK, receive two satisfactory references, and medical check. Any appointment made to this role will be subject to the appointable candidate being vetted under Greater Manchester Police clearance processes. A requirement of the vetting process is a minimum of 3 years residency in the UK.
  • Please note: We are not a licensed sponsor and will not be able to support with your work visa.
  • Privacy Notice: We respect your privacy. For details on how we collect, process, and protect your data, please click here: Recruitment and employment privacy notice | Trafford Council privacy notice | Trafford Council

Make an Impact. Apply Today.

We want everyone to feel confident and supported throughout our recruitment process. If you need any help, adjustments or support at any stage, please get in touch with us at recruitment@trafford.gov.uk

After reviewing the role profile and submitting your application, successful candidates will be invited to a short interview to learn more about your skills and experience

Supporting Documents

GMSS Operator Role Profile

Ready to apply?

Location

Talbot Road, , Trafford, M32 0TH, United Kingdom

Job ID

2344

Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey

We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.

This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to understanding how to use AI responsibly.

You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.

Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester

Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.

Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future

Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.

  1. Calculate Your Take‑Home Pay

    Use this salary calculator to estimate your net pay after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.

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  2. Check Your Benefits Entitlement

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Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach

Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.

To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice.

Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.

This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.

  1. What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?

    AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.

    We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.

    When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.

    This means:

    • A trained hiring manager reads every application

    • Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job

    • Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role

    • All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms

    AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.

    Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.

  2. Using AI in Your Application

    When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team. 

    We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

    We’re looking forward to hearing your story.

  3. How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly

    Your application is your chance to show us:

    • Who you are

    • What you can bring

    • The values you hold

    • Why you want to make a difference

    AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.

    AI is most helpful when used to:

    • Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria

    • Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

    • Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors

    • Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something

    But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.

  4. Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process

    Do:

    • Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement

    • Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure

    • Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice

    • Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience

    • Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself

    Don’t:

    • Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application

    • Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have

    • Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements

    • Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice

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