Payroll Apprentice

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all 4 nations, delivering community nursing and hospice care across the country, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end-of-life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness, they’re likely to die from.

Start your payroll career with professional training, real responsibility and a clear progression path. At Marie Curie, you’ll gain hands-on experience, a recognised qualification and support from experienced colleagues, all while building a meaningful career with the opportunity to progress into a permanent Payroll Officer role. No prior payroll experience required

You’ll join Marie Curie’s Payroll team, supporting colleagues across the organisation to ensure everyone is paid accurately and on time. Working closely with Payroll Officers, Reward specialists, HR and Finance teams, you’ll gain hands-on experience in a supportive environment while learning how payroll works in a large national charity. This is a great opportunity to begin your career in payroll, finance or HR while building valuable professional skills and qualifications.

As Payroll Apprentice, you’ll play an important role in supporting the smooth running of monthly payroll processes. You’ll learn how payroll systems work, support colleagues with payroll administration and develop an understanding of payroll legislation and compliance. Over the course of the apprenticeship, you’ll gain practical experience and complete a Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship, with dedicated training and support throughout. After successfully completing the programme, the role will progress into a Payroll Officer position, giving you a clear pathway into a long-term payroll career.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Support the Payroll team with monthly payroll processing and administration tasks.
• Learn how to manage payroll data including starters, leavers and contract changes using payroll systems.
• Assist with payroll checks, reporting and maintaining accurate employee records.
• Help respond to payroll queries and provide excellent customer service to colleagues across the organisation.
• Develop knowledge of payroll legislation, HMRC processes and compliance requirements.
• Support the team with data entry, inbox management and general administration.
• Participate in training, team meetings and process improvement activities.
• Apply your apprenticeship learning directly into day-to-day work.

Key Criteria:

• Eligible to complete a Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship (please check the link here: Become an apprentice: How apprenticeships work - GOV.UK)
• Motivation to complete the training and start your career in Payroll in a mission-driven organisation.
• Strong attention to detail and good numeracy skills.
• Basic Microsoft Office skills.
• Positive attitude and willingness to learn new systems and processes.
• Good organisation and time management skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information professionally.
• Good communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team.
• Maths and English skills at GCSE Level 4 (or equivalent)

Please see the full job description HERE.

Application & Interview Process

• As part of your online application, you will be asked for a CV and supplementary details. Please review both the advert and job description and outline your most relevant skills, experience and knowledge for the role.
• Close date for applications: Friday 3 July. We encourage early applications as we may close the job advert sooner after receiving a sufficient number of applications.

Salary: £23,133 per annum

Contract: Permanent, full-time

Based:  Home-based in England with occasional travel to our Embassy Gardens office in London (not more than once a month)

Benefits you’ll LOVE:

• Flexible working. We’re happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage.
• 25 days annual leave (exclusive of Bank Holidays)
• Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme (we will match your contribution up to 7.5%)
• Loan schemes for bikes; computers and season tickets
• Continuous professional development opportunities.
• Industry-leading training programmes
• Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programmes
• Enhanced bereavement, family friendly and sickness benefits
• Access to Blue Light Card membership
• Subsidised Eye Care

At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for people, how we work together, and how we make decisions every day. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe for everyone — staff and volunteers alike — supportive, inclusive and rewarding.  We take stringent steps to ensure that anyone who joins our organisation are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. We actively consider our impact on the planet, embedding sustainability into everyday decisions to create a lasting, positive difference for the individuals we care for and the world we share.

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Marie Curie is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising both the social justice imperative and the strength a diverse workforce brings.  We actively encourage applications from people of all cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.

We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you require any support, please contact us at [email protected].

Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and in return, we ask that your application authentically reflects you — your experience, perspective and voice.