Payroll and Benefits Assistant

Michael Page; Bedale; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Michael Page is seeking an enthusiastic Payroll Assistant / Analyst to join our team in the United Kingdom. This developmental role supports payroll for around 450 staff, bridging HR and Finance with a dotted line to both areas, including onboarding and benefits administration.

You will analyse variances to budgets, forecast trends, and prepare structured reports for managers, while handling data from depots and reconciling payroll in Excel and Sage.

Qualifications

• Accurate and detail-oriented with ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Strong organisational skills and time management.
• Proficiency in Excel (VLOOKUPs, Pivot tables).
• Experience in accounts or HR support (1 year preferred).
• Experience with payroll processing and benefits administration is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Full start-to-finish payroll processing for ~450 staff.
• Analyse key variances to budgets and forecast trends.
• Develop structured reports for Finance and Operational Managers.
• Collate payroll data from depots and validate time/attendance data.
• Build rapport with staff, especially payroll data stakeholders.
• Perform relevant manual payroll calculations.
• Reconcile payroll using Excel and Sage.
• Administer liability orders and pension submissions.
• Assist with employee benefit schemes administration.
• Onboard staff from offer to payroll/benefits data capture.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Flexibility

Excel (VLOOKUPs, Pivot tables)

Professionalism

1 year experience in accounts/HR

Tools

Sage

Job description

We're looking for an enthusiastic Payroll Assistant / Analyst to join our team. This Payroll & Benefits Assistant role provides an excellent opportunity for someone new to payroll who has recent experience in supporting either a finance or HR function for at least 12 months or is keen to develop a career in this area. This role has been created as a developmental role.

The individual will become responsible for efficiently processing payroll for approx. 450 staff as well as analytical work into variances to budgets and forecast and trends within working patterns. The role will be conduit between HR and Finance with a dot lined to both areas. Other responsibilities will include the effective onboarding / offboarding of staff, in addition to administration of company benefit schemes such as private healthcare, life insurance, electric car scheme and cycle to work scheme.

Description

• Full start to finish process for the Groups payroll.
• Analysis of key trends and variance reports of actual staffing numbers and costs v's the budget.
• Structured reporting and development of a suite of reports for Key Finance and Operational Managers to report on the employment cost base.
• Collation of payroll data from depots, conducting relevant checks on time and attendance data received
• Building a rapport with staff throughout the business, particularly managers responsible for payroll data
• Completing relevant manual calculations
• Reconciliation of payroll using excel and Sage
• Administration of liability orders
• Pension submissions
• Administration of employee benefit packages
• Onboarding staff from the point of offer to ensure all information is captured correctly for payroll and benefits purposes.

Profile

• Accuracy and attention to detail is critical to this role
• Organisational skills and ability to work to tight timescales
• Flexibility to working hours when processing payroll (our payroll is processed on either a 4-weekly basis or monthly basis)
• Excel IT skills including Vlookups and Pivot tables.
• Ability to maintain professionalism and respect towards others
• Ideally 1-year experience in either an accounts or HR support role

Job Offer

• Salary ranging from £28,000 to £31,000, dependent on the level of experience.
• Permanent position based in Newton-Le-Willows.
• Study support
• Opportunities to develop your payroll and benefits expertise in the retail industry.

People are at the heart of Michael Page. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment. As an inclusive recruiter we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences. If you require any adjustments or accommodations during the recruitment process, we'll work with you to ensure you can perform at your best.