Payroll Administrator

Bright Stars Nursery Group; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent children's nursery group in the East Midlands is seeking a Payroll Administrator to support payroll services across 100+ nurseries. The ideal candidate will have experience in payroll processing, strong numerical and analytical skills, and proficiency in payroll systems like Bright Pay. This role involves preparing monthly payrolls, maintaining employee records in compliance with data protection laws, and ensuring statutory compliance. The company offers a supportive work environment with a focus on operational excellence and professional development.

Benefits

Medical cover

Free online GP appointments

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience in payroll processing within a multi-site or high-volume environment.
• Strong understanding of PAYE, National Insurance, and statutory payments.
• Confident with payroll systems and general IT skills.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and process end-to-end monthly payrolls for 100+ nurseries.
• Ensure accurate calculation of pay, deductions, and statutory payments.
• Maintain and update employee records in compliance with GDPR.

Skills

Attention to detail

Numerical ability

Analytical skills

Effective communication

Education

CIPP qualification (Level 3 or above)

Tools

Bright Pay Payroll system

Excel

Job description

About the Company

Bright Stars Nursery Group is a collection of unique children’s nurseries across the UK and Ireland. We protect the individuality and ethos of our nurseries, with our Nursery Managers running their settings as if they were their own. Backed by Oakley Capital since June 2021, we specialise in acquiring children’s nurseries that meet our high standards of quality and excellence. The Bright Stars group currently operates 100+ early years’ nurseries (total turnover of £100m+ per annum) across the UK and continues with its buy‑and‑build strategy in the UK and mainland Europe. As a result of significant and rapid growth, an HR database implementation is underway. To support this and improve controls, the payroll function requires additional support.

About the Role

Reporting to the Payroll Manager, the Payroll Administrator will provide essential support in delivering an accurate, timely, and compliant payroll service across the Group. This role will be instrumental in maintaining high standards of data quality, supporting monthly and weekly payroll cycles, and assisting in the ongoing implementation of a new HR system. The Payroll Administrator will work closely with nursery managers, Payroll colleagues, and the wider finance team to ensure all payroll activities are processed effectively and reflect the group’s commitment to operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation and processing of end‑to‑end monthly payrolls for 100+ nurseries across the Group.
• Collate, verify, and input all payroll‑related information, including new starters, leavers, contract changes, sickness, maternity / paternity, and overtime.
• Ensure accurate calculation of pay, national insurance, pensions, statutory payments, and deductions.
• Support the reconciliation of payroll data and assist in resolving discrepancies before payroll sign‑off.

Data Management & Compliance

• Maintain and update employee records in the HR and payroll systems, ensuring data integrity and GDPR compliance.
• Assist in producing payroll reports for Finance.
• Support statutory reporting including RTI submissions, pension uploads, and HMRC enquiries.
• Ensure compliance with current legislation including PAYE, Auto Enrolment, SSP / SMP / SPP, and National Minimum Wage requirements.

System Implementation & Process Improvement

• Provide administrative support for the rollout and bedding‑in of new systems.
• Help identify and implement opportunities to improve payroll processes.
• Support training for nursery managers on new processes where required.

Customer Service & Communication

• Act as a point of contact for payroll queries from across the Group.
• Provide clear, timely, and professional responses to ensure high levels of service satisfaction.
• Build effective working relationships with nurseries and central office teams.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a payroll processing role, ideally in a multi‑site or high‑volume environment.
• Strong understanding of PAYE, National Insurance, statutory payments (SSP / SMP / SPP), and Auto Enrolment.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work to strict deadlines.
• Confident user of payroll systems, with good general IT skills (Excel proficiency essential).
• Strong numerical ability and analytical skills.
• Clear and effective communication skills, both written and verbal.

Required Skills

• Experience in the childcare, education, retail, hospitality, or other multi‑location sectors.
• CIPP qualification (Level 3 or above) is desirable but not essential. A willingness to study towards CIPP is advantageous.
• Familiarity with the Bright Pay Payroll system.

Pay range and compensation package

Paycare Medical Cover contributions towards dental, optical, physio and more. Free same‑day online GP appointments. Lifestyle and wellbeing assessments. Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential support.