Key Responsibilities

• Support Payroll Team Leadership in delivering a high-quality payroll and pensions service across the business.


• Process end-to-end payroll, pensions and employee expenses accurately and within agreed deadlines.


• Ensure payroll activities meet agreed SLAs and KPIs, supporting wider departmental and business objectives.


• Maintain compliance with HMRC requirements, pensions legislation, internal controls and audit standards.


• Act as a key contact for internal and external stakeholders, including Finance, People/HR, wider business teams and third-party providers.


• Take ownership of assigned payroll and pensions responsibilities, proactively resolving queries and issues.


• Provide knowledgeable support on payroll and pensions administration.


• Identify opportunities to improve processes through standardisation, automation and reduced manual intervention.


• Support the testing and implementation of new payroll functionality, technology and system changes.


• Share knowledge and provide training/support to other members of the team.


• Contribute to a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.


• Maintain a high level of confidentiality and professionalism when handling sensitive employee and payroll information.

Experience & Qualifications



The ideal candidate will have:

• A minimum of 3 years' experience in end-to-end payroll and pensions processing.


• Strong knowledge of UK and Republic of Ireland payroll and pensions.


• A good understanding of payroll legislation, regulatory requirements, financial controls and compliance.


• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, upgrades or technology changes.


• Experience testing new system functionality and supporting/training colleagues.


• Strong cross-functional stakeholder management experience.


• Experience working with payroll, expenses and pensions platforms.


• Good working knowledge of Microsoft and Google Workspace applications.


• Experience using MHR iTrent and Standard Life platforms would be advantageous.


• A CIPP Payroll Technician qualification or Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship, or equivalent, would be desirable.

Key Skills

• Strong end-to-end payroll and pensions knowledge.


• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.


• Strong understanding of payroll controls and best practice.


• Ability to identify and implement opportunities for continuous improvement.


• Confident stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.


• Clear and professional written and verbal communication.


• Strong organisation and time-management skills.


• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage tight payroll deadlines.


• Self-motivated with the ability to manage responsibilities with moderate supervision.


• High levels of integrity when handling confidential and sensitive information.


• A collaborative approach and willingness to contribute to the ongoing development of the wider payroll function.

We are happy to provide application and/or accessibility support, please contact your Marks Sattin or Grafton consultant directly to discuss your needs. We're committed to protecting the privacy of all our candidates and clients, please visit https://www.markssattin.co.uk/privacy and https://uk.grafton-recruitment.com/en/privacy-policy-1 for our privacy policy.