Payroll Advisor

JGA Recruitment; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

JGA Recruitment is recruiting a Payroll Advisor in Bolton to join a growing payroll team within a professional services environment. You will manage a portfolio of end-to-end payrolls, handle complex queries and support junior colleagues while ensuring all payrolls comply with UK law.

The role is hybrid (3 days in-office, 2 days home) with permanent, full-time status and a £37,000 salary cap. Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and precise processing are essential.

Qualifications

• 3-4+ years of UK payroll experience required.
• Experience with payroll bureaus/outsourced payroll is essential.
• BrightPay or STAR experience is a plus.
• Solid knowledge of UK payroll legislation and best practice.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end client payrolls within a portfolio of varying sizes.
• Handle technical payroll queries and provide practical client advice.
• Ensure payrolls comply with UK legislation and HMRC requirements.
• Review payroll outputs and process BACS payments per internal controls.
• Build strong relationships with clients and understand their payroll needs.
• Monitor workloads and meet service levels and deadlines.
• Provide day-to-day guidance to junior payroll colleagues.
• Review work of team members and give constructive feedback.
• Maintain accurate payroll procedures and documentation.
• Support payroll software testing, upgrades, and projects.
• Perform payroll controls and checks for audit/compliance.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes and client service.

Skills

UK payroll experience

Payroll bureau experience

BrightPay/STAR experience

UK payroll legislation

Client portfolio management

Payroll queries handling

Junior staff support

Communication skills

Organization

Problem solving

Job description

Payroll Advisor

Salary: Up to £37,000

Location: Bolton

Hybrid: 3 days office / 2 days home

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday-Friday

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

The Role

An excellent opportunity for an experienced Payroll Advisor to join a well-established and growing payroll team within a professional services environment. You'll take responsibility for a portfolio of clients, processing complex end-to-end payrolls while acting as a key point of contact for payroll queries. You'll also have the opportunity to support junior colleagues, contribute to technical projects and help improve processes across the wider payroll function.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and process a portfolio of end-to-end client payrolls across varying sizes and complexities.
• Handle technical payroll queries and provide clients with accurate, practical advice.
• Ensure payrolls are processed accurately and in line with UK legislation and HMRC requirements.
• Review and issue payroll outputs and complete BACS payments in line with internal controls.
• Build strong relationships with clients and understand their individual payroll requirements.
• Monitor workloads and ensure key payroll deadlines and service levels are consistently achieved.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and technical support to junior payroll colleagues.
• Review work completed by other team members and provide constructive feedback where required.
• Maintain accurate client payroll procedures and process documentation.
• Support payroll software testing, upgrades and wider technical projects.
• Complete payroll controls and checks to support audit and compliance requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency and overall client service.

Ideal Candidate

• Around 3-4+ years' UK payroll experience.
• Payroll bureau / outsourced payroll experience is essential.
• BrightPay/ STAR experience would be advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and industry best practice.
• Experience managing a portfolio of clients and multiple payroll deadlines.
• Confident handling more complex payroll queries and technical issues.
• Previous experience supporting, reviewing or supervising junior colleagues would be beneficial.
• Strong communication skills with the confidence to deal directly with clients.
• Excellent organisation, attention to detail and problem-solving skills.