Payroll & Reward SME

Nestlé S.A.; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual bonus

25 days holiday

12 flexible days

Personal development focus

Job summary

Nestlé UK&I in York is hiring a Payroll & Reward SME on a 12‑month fixed term contract. This hybrid role delivers expert payroll and benefits services across the UK & Ireland and partners with internal teams to drive accuracy and service quality.

You will act as SME, handle complex queries, coordinate with DXC, monitor changes in legislation, and lead continuous improvement initiatives while supporting colleagues.

Qualifications

• Payroll experience in a medium to large, fast-paced organisation.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and compliance.
• Experience managing complex payroll and reward queries.
• Excellent customer service and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical abilities and attention to detail.
• Ability to handle confidential information.
• Proactive on continuous improvement and change initiatives.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Experience training and developing colleagues.
• Experience across Payroll and Reward.
• SAP Payroll system knowledge.
• Project or change management experience.
• CIPP qualification or working towards.
• Active engagement in payroll networks.

Responsibilities

• Act as Payroll & Reward SME, advising on complex queries.
• Deliver accurate payroll, reward, and benefits for UK & Ireland.
• Partner with Tax, Legal, Pensions and providers to ensure end-to-end processes.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors like DXC.
• Monitor legislative and market developments and implement changes.
• Lead continuous improvement and change initiatives.
• Support HR Operations projects and participate in wider initiatives.
• Share knowledge across the team.

Skills

Payroll experience

UK payroll legislation

Complex payroll queries

Customer service

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Confidential data handling

Continuous improvement

Work under pressure

Training colleagues

Payroll & Reward

SAP Payroll

Change management

CIPP qualification

Payroll networks

Skills matrices

Project management

Tools

SAP

Job description

Business Area: Nestlé UK&I
Location:York Office (Hybrid with a minimum of 2 days a week in the office)

Start Date: Ideally November 2026

Salary up to £40,000 depending on experience.

Some of our other fantastic benefits

• Potential, discretionary annual bonus
• 12 flexible days on top of 25-day holiday entitlement
• A focus on personal development and growth

This is a full-time 12 month fixed term opportunity, but we are always open to discuss individual’s flexible working needs so please speak to use during the recruitment process to understand what this could look like for you.

We're looking for an experienced Payroll & Reward professional to join our Payroll & Reward team in York as a Payroll & Reward SME.

Acting as the Subject Matter Expert within HR Operations, you will play a key role in delivering accurate, compliant and customer-focused payroll and reward services across the UK & Ireland. Working closely with our payroll shared services provider, DXC, you will help ensure an exceptional colleague experience while supporting continuous improvement across our processes.

Your impact

You will provide expert support to employees, line managers and HR colleagues, taking ownership of complex payroll and reward queries and delivering high levels of service and accuracy. Working across Payroll and Reward, you will collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure legal compliance, continuous improvement and an excellent customer experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Acting as the Payroll & Reward SME, providing expert advice and support on complex queries.
• Delivering accurate and compliant payroll, reward and benefits processes across the UK & Ireland.
• Partnering with Tax, Legal, Pensions and external providers to ensure effective end-to-end processes.
• Managing relationships with third-party vendors, including DXC, to deliver a seamless customer experience.
• Monitoring legislative and market developments and supporting the implementation of required changes.
• Leading and supporting continuous improvement and change initiatives across Payroll & Reward.
• Supporting HR Operations projects and representing Payroll & Reward within wider business initiatives.
• Sharing knowledge and providing support to colleagues across the team.

Your ingredients for success

As a maternity cover opportunity, this role offers the chance to make an immediate impact within a high-performing team. We're looking for someone who can bring expertise, fresh thinking and a passion for delivering excellent service while helping us continue to enhance our processes and colleague experience.

• Payroll experience within a medium to large, fast-paced organisation.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and compliance requirements.
• Experience managing complex payroll and reward queries.
• Excellent customer service, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify solutions.
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• Proactive approach to continuous improvement and change initiatives.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Experience supporting and developing colleagues through knowledge sharing and training.
• Experience working across both Payroll and Reward.
• SAP Payroll system knowledge.
• Project or change management experience.
• CIPP qualification (or working towards).
• Active engagement in payroll professional networks and ongoing professional development.
• Experience supporting team capability development, including skills matrices.

What you need to know

We will be considering candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so pleasedon’tdelay insubmittingyour application.

Our Commitment to Inclusive Hiring

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect. We believe that embracing diversity and creating an inclusive environment enables everyone to reach their full potential and drives innovation. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

We know that not everyone will meet every requirement listed in this advert. If you're excited about the opportunity and can demonstrate relevant skills, experience or potential, we'd encourage you to apply.

Accessibility and Adjustments

At Nestlé, we're committed to creating an inclusive and supportive recruitment experience where everyone can perform at their best.

If you require any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know. We'll work with you to understand your needs and make appropriate arrangements where possible. Any information you share with us will be treated in the strictest confidence and used only to support you throughout the recruitment process.