Payroll & HR Specialist

Phoenix Energy; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus (6-9%)

Leave entitlement 22 days + 11 bankhol

Pension matching up to 6%

Life assurance

Private medical insurance

Parking & staff bus

Job summary

Phoenix Energy is seeking an experienced HR Generalist with a strong payroll background to join their Belfast team. The role covers end-to-end payroll for multiple entities, strict statutory deductions, auto-enrolment pension duties and year-end processing, alongside HR admin duties such as recruitment coordination and employee relations support.

This office-based position requires at least five years in a payroll environment; it offers a strong benefits package including a target bonus and

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years’ demonstrable experience processing end-to-end payroll for a multi-entity organisation.
• Experience in general HR administration, such as recruitment coordination, onboarding, absence management or supporting employee relations casework.
• Desirable: Full CIPP membership or working towards it; CIPD Foundation or Associate level, or working towards it.

Responsibilities

• Process end-to-end monthly payroll for all group entities using PayCircle (Access UK), including new starters, leavers, contractual changes, overtime, expenses and statutory payments (SSP, SMP, SPP, SAP).
• Ensure accurate processing of deductions, including PAYE, National Insurance, pension contributions (Scottish Widows), student loans and other authorised deductions.
• Prepare and process holiday pay accurately, including leaving employees, in line with statutory and contractual entitlements.
• Payroll taxable benefits in kind in accordance with HMRC payrolling benefits rules, ensuring accurate in-year tax treatment and correct year-end reporting.
• Administer auto-enrolment pension duties and liaise with Scottish Widows on contribution submissions, opt-outs and re-enrolment cycles.
• Reconcile payroll reports prior to submission, investigating and resolving discrepancies.
• Prepare payroll-related reports and management information as required.
• Support year-end payroll processes, including P60s, P11D(b)s where applicable.
• Coordinate end-to-end recruitment activity, including advertising vacancies, liaising with hiring managers, scheduling interviews, issuing offers and preparing contracts of employment.
• Act as first point of contact for employee relations queries from employees and line managers, providing guidance on policy and process and supporting informal resolution, escalating more complex casework to the HR Manager.

Skills

Recruitment coordination

Employee relations

HR policy

Payroll administration

Multi-entity payroll

Attention to detail

Education

CIPP membership or working towards it

CIPD Foundation or Associate level, or working towards it

5+ years payroll experience for multi-entity org

Tools

PayCircle (Access UK)

Job description

Are you currently looking to change your current job and have five or more years' experience in a Payroll environment? If you are passionate about the payroll profession and are looking for your next challenge, then we want to hear from you!

This is an exciting opportunity to work for a friendly team in an industry leading utility company. You will be joining a team of people who are united in achieving our corporate objectives and who are willing to go the extra mile to deliver excellent service to our customers.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all ages and backgrounds.

Please note this is an office based role. We cannot offer remote or hybrid working.

Key Responsibilities:

Payroll

• Process end-to-end monthly payroll for all group entities using PayCircle (Access UK), including new starters, leavers, contractual changes, overtime, expenses and statutory payments (SSP, SMP, SPP, SAP)
• Ensure accurate processing of deductions, including PAYE, National Insurance, pension contributions (Scottish Widows), student loans, court orders and other authorised deductions.
• Prepare and process holiday pay accurately, including leaving employees, in line with statutory and contractual entitlements.
• Payroll taxable benefits in kind in accordance with HMRC payrolling benefits rules, ensuring accurate in-year tax treatment and correct year-end reporting.
• Administer auto-enrolment pension duties and liaise with Scottish Widows on contribution submissions, opt-outs and re-enrolment cycles.
• Reconcile payroll reports prior to submission, investigating and resolving discrepancies.
• Prepare payroll-related reports and management information as required.
• Support year-end payroll processes, including P60s, P11D(b)s where applicable.

HR Generalist

• Coordinate end-to-end recruitment activity, including advertising vacancies, liaising with hiring managers, scheduling interviews, issuing offers and preparing contracts of employment.
• Act as first point of contact for employee relations queries from employees and line managers, providing guidance on policy and process and supporting informal resolution, escalating more complex casework to the HR Manager.

Further details can be found in the Job Description on the Phoenix Energy careers page.

Person Specification:

Essential Qualifications

Desirable Qualifications

• Full CIPP membership or working towards it.
• CIPD Foundation or Associate level, or working towards it.
• A minimum of 5 years’ demonstrable experience of processing end-to-end payroll for a multi-entity organisation.
• Experience of general HR administration, such as recruitment coordination, onboarding, absence management or supporting employee relations casework.

What’s in it for you?

• an opportunity to earn a 6-9% on target annual bonus
• you will receive 22 days annual leave plus 11 bank holidays (this increases with length of service).
• enrollment into the Company pension scheme on commencement and upon meeting qualifying criteria the Company will match your pension contributions up to 6%.
• life assurance whist employed by the Company.
• private medical insurance upon meeting qualifying criteria.
• Free car parking & staff bus from & to the city centre

Does this sound like you?

We hope you can say Yes to all of the characteristics below - they are in the DNA of all our fantastic employees. Are you someone who:

• Respects diversity and behaves in an inclusive manner.
• Can evolve and adapt quickly.
• Wants to deliver positive change to the customer and communities that we serve.
• Recognises that we can achieve more through teamwork.

If this sounds like you then we definitely want to hear from you!

A little more about us

We were established in 1996 to bring natural gas to the Greater Belfast area of Northern Ireland, where there was previously no natural gas distribution network.

Since 1996 local, national and international partnerships have delivered an investment of over £500 million into the Northern Ireland economy and the wider natural gas industry now provides employment to over 2,500 people. We continue to invest in infrastructure that currently has in excess of 269,000 domestic and business customers connected, and continues to grow at around 8,000 new customers each year.