Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist
3 days ago
London
The Role \n We are looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist to champion and elevate the payroll and benefits operations across our UK and Ireland businesses. \n You will drive the development, performance & ongoing maintenance of our reward activities. You will serve as the subject matter expert for our employees, ensuring they are paid accurately and have access to top-tier benefits - while handling administration of our benefits schemes, maintaining & renewing accounts and promoting the pensions and benefits provision across the organisation and leading on benefits projects and initiatives with the support of the R&B Manager. \n Payroll Management \n\n • Manage in-house UK & Ireland Payrolls for approximately 400 employees, including a modified payroll for UK expats.\n, • Ensure compliance with current Revenue legislation and our corporate policies, which includes conducting regular audits on data & systems.\n, • Assume responsibility for administering employment legislative changes and communicating these updates to the business.\n, • Ensure that submissions for pension schemes, HMRC and other statutory bodies are correct and completed on time.\n, • Reconcile monthly pension changes, submit final pension figures for payment and manage all auto enrolment responsibilities to remain compliant in the UK and Ireland.\n, • Liaise and advise the HR team and other Stakeholders on payroll and payroll related benefit inputs to ensure deadlines are met.\n, • Manage relationships with payroll providers to ensure staff are paid accurately and on time.\n, • Work closely with finance to deliver monthly journals.\n, • Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and errors in a timely manner.\n, • Review current processes to maximise efficiency, with the intention to automate wherever possible.\n, • Create, maintain, and regularly update process guides and flow charts for all payroll procedures, and provide training to wider HR teams to share knowledge and collaborate on system and policy updates.\n, • Maintain documented SOP and train dedicated HR individuals to be able to run the payroll and benefits function during absences.\n\n Benefit Management \n\n • Take full responsibility for processing and reporting benefit changes (enrolments, changes and leavers) and reviewing benefit invoices and premiums.\n, • Take sole responsibility for managing pension schemes, including required submissions, reporting and auditing.\n, • Lead the promotion of benefit offerings to staff and support the R&B Manager in improving engagement levels with benefits offering.\n, • Prepare all data for the annual benefit renewal process, working closely with benefit brokers to meet their requirements.\n, • Regularly review and update intranet and policies with current benefit information.\n, • Create and produce content for annual benefit engagement plans.\n, • Provide monthly KPIs and research on benefits offered compared to the UK market to support proposals for future change.\n\n Other duties \n\n • Act as first point of contact for all payroll and benefit-related queries while managing the shared inbox.\n, • Hold regular new starter induction meetings on Payroll and Benefits to ensure seamless onboarding.\n, • Review and submit invoices to R&B Manager for approval and sending to finance for payment.\n, • Manage annual payroll and benefit tasks, such as P11D’s/ payrolled benefits, P60’s and Gender Pay Gap reporting.\n, • Support finance in the preparation of our PAYE settlement agreement.\n, • Manage annual internal and external audits for payroll and benefits processes, alongside completion of regular pension audits and governance meetings.\n, • Support R&B Manager with EUA annual salary and bonus review, as well as any payroll and benefit initiatives and projects assigned.\n, • Responsible for UK & Ireland bi-annual budget preparation and monthly variance reporting\n, • Collaborate with our International Mobility team regarding UK liabilities due for staff on secondment to and from the UK.\n, • Manage UK reporting to stakeholders and HR team members on metrics including absence, turnover, pay variances and benefit engagement.\n, • Hold open-door events at UK locations to engage with staff, promote offerings and answer benefit queries.\n, • Carry out any other duties or projects assigned by the company.\n, • Maintain flexibility regarding working hours in accordance with operational business needs to assist the department in meeting its KPIs\n\n The Requirements \n Essential: \n\n • ADP iHCM2 experience.\n, • Significant experience working in UK Payroll and Benefits.\n\n Preferred: \n\n • Full CIPP Qualification preferred (or equivalent experience).\n, • Previous experience running Irish payroll.\n, • Previous experience running a modified payroll for expatriate employees.\n, • Strong Google Suite experience.\n\n Competencies \n\n • Ability to work with confidential data and communicate in a clear, professional manner.\n, • Strong communication and analytical skills.\n, • A self-learner capable of keeping up to date with UK & Ireland Payroll and benefits legislation.\n, • Excellent diary management with the ability to work to ongoing monthly deadlines and manage ad hoc projects.\n, • Ability to work independently on own initiative, as well as collaboratively as part of the HR & Reward team.\n\n The Benefits \n\n • Paid annual leave of 25 days per annum plus UK bank & public holidays.\n, • Hybrid working arrangement.\n, • Membership of the Company’s Group Personal Pension Plan.\n, • Performance Related Pay, a pay award and discretionary annual bonus linked directly to their performance in addition to annual review.\n, • Permanent Health Insurance.\n, • Death in Service.\n, • Private Medical Cover (BUPA) after two years’ service.\n, • Employee Assistance Programme, with free independent confidential support and virtual GP services.\n, • An interest free annual travel season ticket loan.\n, • Family leave policies enhanced above statutory.\n, • Enhanced company sick pay policy.\n, • Medical health check.\n, • Annual eye test and contribution towards glasses for VDU prescriptions.\n, • Online employee discount platform\n\n Application \n The closing date for this vacancy is 31st July 2026. \n Applicants must have an existing right to live and work in the UK.