Payroll Officer

Brett Group; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous pension

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Life assurance

Career development

Free onsite parking

Employee assistance programme

Enhanced parental leave

Cycle to work scheme

Employee discounts

Job summary

Brett Group is seeking an experienced Payroll Officer to join a small, friendly payroll team in the UK. You will report to the Payroll & Pensions Manager and own payroll accuracy across the Group, driving process improvements, handling queries and ensuring timely payments.

The role covers salaried, monthly and Britannia crew payrolls, with a focus on compliance, pensions and data integrity. The ideal candidate has 3+ years’ payroll experience and strong IT skills, including Excel, SD Worx or

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years' recent, hands-on payroll processing experience.
• Experience with payroll legislation and statutory requirements.
• Experience with Pension Salary Sacrifice and salary sacrifice schemes.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to interpret payroll legislation and Company policies.

Responsibilities

• Support end-to-end payroll processing for salaried, monthly and Britannia crew payrolls.
• Process starters, leavers, timesheets, overtime, allowances, tax codes and employee details.
• Calculate and process statutory payments, parental pay, absence and payroll deductions.
• Administer payroll-related benefits, including salary sacrifice schemes and PBIK.
• Assist with reconciliations, close payroll cycles and resolve discrepancies.

Skills

Payroll processing

Pensions

Tax codes

GDPR compliance

Data accuracy

Analytical skills

Communication

Attention to detail

Time management

Multi-tasking

Education

GCSE English and Maths (4/C or equivalent)

Tools

SD Worx payroll software

IFS HR systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About The Role

We’re looking for an experienced and proactive Payroll Officer to join our small, friendly payroll team at Brett Group. Reporting to the Payroll & Pensions Manager, you’ll play an important role in delivering accurate and timely payroll across the Group. This is a varied, hands‑on role offering the opportunity to take ownership of your work, develop your payroll knowledge and contribute to improving our processes and ways of working.

Purpose of the Job

To support the accurate, timely and compliant delivery of payroll across the Brett Group, ensuring employees are paid correctly and in accordance with statutory requirements and Company policies. The role supports the day-to-day delivery of payroll, ensuring accurate records are maintained and payroll queries are handled promptly and professionally. Working closely with the Payroll & Pensions Manager, the Job Holder will help ensure the smooth running of the payroll function, maintaining effective controls and contributing to ongoing process improvements.

Main Responsibilities / Tasks

Payroll Processing

• Assist with the end-to-end processing of the Group's salaried, monthly and Britannia crew payrolls, ensuring accurate and timely payments.


• Process payroll information including starters, leavers, timesheets, overtime, allowances, unpaid leave, tax codes and employee details.


• Calculate and process statutory payments, parental pay, absence and payroll deductions.


• Administer payroll‑related benefits including Payrolling of Benefits in Kind (PBIK) and various salary sacrifice schemes.


• Assist with payroll validation, reconciliations and the closing of payroll cycles, identifying and resolving discrepancies.

Pensions & Third‑Party Payments

• Maintain accurate pension records, including scheme enrolments, changes and contributions.


• Assist with the processing and reconciliation of pension contributions and other third‑party payments.

Compliance & Reporting

• Ensure payroll processing complies with HMRC legislation, statutory requirements and the Group’s policies.


• Prepare month‑end payroll reports and provide information to Finance and other departments as required.


• Complete Office for National Statistics (ONS) surveys.


• Assist with annual payroll audits, PAYE Settlement Agreements (PSA) and Group Accident & Travel Insurance renewals.


• Maintain accurate payroll records, document control and filing systems in accordance with GDPR and audit requirements.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain accurate employee information within payroll and HR systems.


• Support payroll system updates, process improvements and the development of payroll procedures.


• Assist in maintaining effective controls and data accuracy across payroll and HR systems.

Communication & Team Support

• Act as a point of contact for payroll queries, responding professionally by email and telephone.


• Liaise with HR, Finance and operational management to resolve payroll discrepancies and queries.


• Provide administrative support and appropriate cover for the Payroll & Pensions Manager.

This job outline covers the main responsibilities and duties of the role. The Job Holder may be required to undertake other reasonable duties from time to time.

We're Looking For:

• Proactive, inquisitive and willing to identify opportunities for improvement.


• Highly organised, methodical and able to manage competing priorities.


• Reliable, adaptable and able to work effectively under pressure.


• Professional, approachable and discreet when handling confidential information.


• Self‑motivated, with the ability to work independently and as part of a small team.


• Willingness to learn, develop and take ownership of responsibilities.

Knowledge And Skills:

Essential:

• Good working knowledge of payroll processes, statutory requirements and relevant legislation.


• Experience of running and processing various salary sacrifice schemes, including Pension Salary Sacrifice, Cycle to Work and Car Salary Sacrifice


• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to investigate and resolve discrepancies.


• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.


• Effective written and verbal communication skills.


• Strong planning, organisational and time management skills.


• Good IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel and payroll software.


• Ability to interpret and apply payroll legislation, Company policies and procedures.


• Ability to identify process improvements and contribute to implementing change.


• GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or equivalent qualifications


• From time to time working outside normal hours will be required.

Desirable:

• Previous experience of processing payroll in a multi‑company environment.


• Experience using SD Worx payroll software and/or IFS HR systems.


• Knowledge of workplace pensions and automatic enrolment.

Specific Training / Professional Qualifications

Essential:

• Experience using a cloud‑based payroll software, such as SD Worx or similar.


• Competent in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook.

Desirable:

• CIPP qualification or willing to work towards a recognised payroll qualification.


• Experience of working with non‑integrated payroll and HR systems, including the reconciliation and transfer of data between systems.

Previous Industry/Job Experience:

Essential:

• Minimum of three years' recent, hands‑on payroll processing experience.


• Experience of working to payroll deadlines and managing competing priorities.

We'll Offer You

• A competitivesalary


• Generous pension


• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays


• Life assurance


• Career and professional development


• Free onsite parking


• Employee assistance programme


• Enhanced parental leave


• Cycle to work scheme


• Employee discounts


• Plus more!

About Us

Brett is the UK’s largest independently owned building materials Group with over 60 sites across the South, South East, East and Midlands and employing over 750 people.

With a reputation for excellence, we offer superb development opportunities to people keen to be a part of our continued growth. As an independent business we can offer real job satisfaction in an environment which encourages you to contribute, supports you in getting the job done and enables you to become part of a team that delivers building materials for big ideas.

Why Join Brett

• Our people are individuals, we value your input and support you in your professional development.


• We see our people as our greatest strength.


• We work hard to create inclusive environments.


• Grow your skills with ongoing opportunities – our business thrives when our people are at their best, we encourage and support ongoing learning and development.

Brett Group operates an Equal Opportunities Policy and monitoring. We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination in recruitment and employment. We take a zero‑tolerance approach to any form of discrimination and are committed to acting professionally and fairly in all our relationships and business dealings. This is not only a legal requirement but is vital for our brand, reputation and the long‑term success of our business.

Brett Group operates a preferred supplier list and does not accept agency CVs, unless specifically engaged to work on the role in writing by the People Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other location with the Brett Group. Brett Group will not be responsible for any fees relating to unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles. Furthermore, Brett Group will only accept CVs submitted through our applicant tracking system, any and all CVs sent via email will be immediately deleted and shall not be subject to any agency terms or associated fees.