Payroll Analyst

Goodman Masson; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Goodman Masson is seeking an experienced Payroll Analyst to join our centralized EMEA Payroll Hub in Central London. You will oversee end-to-end UK payroll processing, act as the SAP expert, and contribute to process improvements across entities.

The role requires in-house payroll expertise, strong knowledge of UK legislation, and experience with SAP Payroll. You will collaborate with payroll specialists and Finance teams to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Qualifications

• In-house payroll experience
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and statutory calculations
• Experience with payroll journals and integration with finance

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end UK payroll processing for SAP payrolls
• Finalize post-exit tasks, BACS, GL posting, and statutory payments per HMRC rules
• Serve as SAP technical escalation point and collaborate with SAP partners on upgrades and testing
• Review payroll outputs, perform variance analyses, and support audits
• Resolve employee queries and drive continuous process improvements across teams

Skills

Payroll knowledge

UK payroll legislation

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Stakeholder management

Education

CIPP/Payroll qualification

Tools

SAP Payroll

SAP Finance

Workday

Job description

Bring your expertise to the team! We are looking for an experienced, detail-oriented Payroll Analyst to join our centralized EMEA Payroll Hub in Central London. In this role, you will oversee accurate processing for UK payrolls, act as a key technical contact for SAP, and help drive operational excellence across entities.

What You’ll Do:

• Payroll Execution: Manage end-to-end processing for assigned UK SAP payrolls to ensure timely and accurate payment on published pay dates.
• Post-Exit & Statutory Compliance: Finalize BACS, manage GL posting, complete post-payroll tasks, and calculate statutory payments (SMP, SSP, SPP, SAP) in full compliance with HMRC regulations.
• Technical & System Support: Serve as a technical escalation point for SAP queries and work directly with SAP partners to execute upgrades, testing, and system enhancements.
• Quality & Audits: Review output reports from payroll vendors, perform variance analyses, perform manual/back-dated calculations, and take the lead on internal and external audit requests.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Resolve employee and stakeholder queries professionally, collaborate with Payroll Specialists, and partner across teams to champion continuous process improvements.

What We’re Looking For:

Essential Experience & Skills:

• Practical experience working within an in-house payroll environment.
• Strong working knowledge of UK payroll legislation and statutory calculation regulations.
• Clear understanding of payroll journals and how payroll feeds into corporate financials.
• Strong numerical, analytical, and time-management skills with sharp attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• CIPP/Payroll qualification (or part-qualified with a strong drive to progress your payroll career).
• Hands-on experience with SAP Payroll and SAP Finance.
• Exposure to audit procedures and general familiarity with Workday.
• Excellent communicator who builds strong relationships across teams.
• Resilience, discretion, and the high level of confidentiality required for sensitive data.
• Results-driven mindset with a commitment to process improvements and operational excellence.