Payroll Advisor

Cox Automotive Europe; Leeds; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Option to buy additional holiday days

Birthday off every year

Well-Being Day

Paid Charity Day

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

A well-known automotive company in the UK is seeking a Payroll Specialist to deliver accurate payroll processing and provide knowledgeable support on payroll-related queries. This role involves collaborating with the HR team and ensuring compliance with legislation. Ideal candidates will have strong organizational skills, proficiency in Microsoft tools, and proven payroll experience within high-volume settings. Join this inclusive team and contribute to enhancing HR operations.

Qualifications

• Experienced in fast-paced payroll environments.
• Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders.
• Experience in contributing to project work.

Responsibilities

• Deliver end-to-end payroll processing accurately.
• Support payroll team with data analysis.
• Stay compliant with HMRC legislation and payroll processes.

Skills

Proven payroll experience

Strong organizational skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Solid experience in processing statutory payments

Confidentiality and professionalism

Tools

HR and Payroll systems

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

HR Operations is a key function within People Solutions, being the first point of contact for our Team Members who may have a query with any part of the HR and employee lifecycle - new starter process, onboarding, pay, benefits, personal development, or an employment issue.

HR Operations is also responsible for ensuring the overall People Solutions function remains fully compliant and up to date with the most recent Employment contract law, Payroll legislative changes, Talent Acquisition and recruitment processes including Right to Work or visa and immigration support, and importantly that all our people data is kept secure and in line with GDPR legislation.

Putting our team member experience first, the HR Operations function provides accurate, timely and detailed Administrative / Query Support Services to the business, ensuring that throughout the employee lifecycle, SLAs are maintained, and processes are refined in line with the overall business targets on team member experience.

Why Join Us & What’s in it for You?

As a Cox Automotive team member, you’ll have access to a wide range of benefits, including exclusive discounts, cashback offers and our brilliant peer to peer recognition scheme. And there’s even more to enjoy:

• Option to buy additional holiday days
• Your birthday off every year - paid
• One annual Well-Being Day for you to relax and recharge
• One paid Charity Day to give back and support a cause that matters to you
• Opportunities for career progression across the Cox Automotive network

About The Role

Reporting to the Head of HR Operations, you will play a vital role in delivering accurate, end-to-end payroll processing while providing confident, knowledgeable support to our team members on payroll-related queries. You’ll collaborate closely with the HR Central team to ensure seamless E2E HR and payroll operations, contributing to an efficient and positive colleague experience.

You will stay ahead of external legislative changes, ensuring all internal processes and external reporting requirements remain fully compliant and aligned with best practice.

Focused on both personal and operational growth, you’ll use project work and day-to-day experience to identify opportunities to optimise payroll and enhance end-to-end HR processes across the function.

Alongside this, you will support a variety of ad hoc duties and strategic projects that contribute to the successful delivery of our wider HR Strategy, giving you scope to develop your skills and influence meaningful improvements within the organisation.

What You’ll Be Doing

Proactively deliver a full range of payroll responsibilities in a professional, timely, and accurate manner to ensure consistent payroll excellence across the organisation by:

• Providing strong support to the Payroll team and wider People Solutions function through project work and data analysis, including:
• New acquisitions
• Redundancy calculations
• Data reporting and insights
• Effectively managing workload to meet deadlines and maintain service quality
• Staying fully up to date with HMRC legislation and applying this knowledge to all payroll processes
• Maintaining a solid understanding of Salary Sacrifice schemes (Pension, Holiday Purchase, Cycle to Work, Childcare Vouchers)
• Demonstrating knowledge of Benefits in Kind and HMRC reporting requirements (P11D), including data collation, system input, and issuing team member statements
• Providing prompt, clear, and professional responses to payroll-related queries from team members, third parties, and internal business functions
• Supporting business stakeholders as needed, including communicating payroll process updates and ongoing changes
• Leading and supporting the delivery of in-house training sessions, business updates, and assigned payroll-related projects
• Ensuring exceptional attention to detail and maintaining 100% accuracy of all data entered into the HR system
• Applying knowledge of pension legislation to ensure accurate processing and compliance
• Demonstrating a thorough understanding of personal tax allowances, NIC rates, thresholds, and their application within payroll

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate will bring proven payroll experience within a fast-paced, high-volume environment, ideally working as part of a wider HR team. You will be confident in communicating effectively and building strong working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. You will also demonstrate:

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise a diverse workload, meet tight deadlines and SLAs, and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
• A positive, resilient attitude, showing tenacity under pressure and the ability to adapt your communication style to suit different audiences and situations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office—particularly Excel and PowerPoint—and experience using HR and Payroll systems.
• Solid experience in processing statutory payments, including SSP, SMP, SPP, and related entitlements.
• Experience contributing to project work, with previous involvement in HRIS transformation initiatives being highly advantageous, as you will support these from the outset.
• A strong sense of confidentiality and professionalism, with a clear understanding of payroll governance, policies, and procedures.

We’re Committed to Inclusion

We are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in all its forms. We are a place where you can be you.

Ready To Join Our Team & Make A Difference?

Apply now and drive your career forward with one of the automotive industry’s most trusted names.

STRICTLY NO AGENCIES PLEASE

We kindly ask that agencies do not contact us regarding this vacancy. We do not accept unsolicited CVs sent to the recruitment team or directly to a hiring manager. We will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited submissions.