Payroll Specialist

Reed; Hatching Green; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Beautiful Harpenden office

International exposure

High autonomy

Job summary

Reed in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, is seeking a Regional Payroll Specialist to own end-to-end payroll across UK, EMEA and selected APAC regions. You will partner with Finance, HR and external providers to ensure accurate, compliant payroll delivery on time.

The role offers high autonomy, exposure to international payroll operations and a focus on process improvements within a global business, based in a beautiful Harpenden office.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in multi-country payroll.
• Strong UK payroll knowledge and HMRC expertise.
• Experience with outsourced payroll providers such as ADP.
• Payroll accounting including journals and reconciliations.
• Advanced Excel skills and ERP experience (JD Edwards).

Responsibilities

• Manage payroll across UK, EMEA and designated APAC entities.
• Liaise with outsourced payroll providers (e.g., ADP).
• Ensure accurate, compliant payroll processing on deadlines.
• Manage payroll journals, accruals and reconciliations.
• Support month-end close and payroll reporting.
• Oversee PAYE, NIC, pensions and PAYE Settlement Agreements.
• Maintain payroll controls and audit readiness.

Skills

5+ years payroll

UK payroll

HMRC expertise

ADP experience

Payroll accounting

Excel

JD Edwards

Multinational

Analytics

Organizational skills

Tools

JD Edwards

Job description

Regional Payroll Specialist

Harpenden, Hertfordshire (Fully Office Based)

Up to £55,000 per annum

Global Organisation EMEA & APAC Exposure

Are you an experienced payroll professional looking for a role where you can take ownership of a complex international payroll function whilst working from a stunning office location in the heart of Harpenden?

We are seeking a Regional Payroll Specialist to join a growing global business, taking responsibility for payroll operations across the UK, EMEA and selected APAC regions. This is a highly visible role where you'll partner closely with Finance, HR and external providers to ensure payroll is delivered accurately, compliantly and on time.

The Role

As Regional Payroll Specialist, you will own the end-to-end payroll lifecycle across multiple countries, ensuring operational excellence, statutory compliance and strong financial governance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing payroll operations across the UK, EMEA and designated APAC entities
• Acting as the key liaison with outsourced payroll providers, including ADP
• Ensuring payrolls are processed accurately, compliantly and to strict deadlines
• Managing payroll journals, accruals, reconciliations and variance analysis
• Supporting month-end close activities and payroll-related financial reporting
• Overseeing PAYE, National Insurance, pensions, P11Ds and PAYE Settlement Agreements
• Managing payroll tax reconciliations and statutory payments
• Maintaining robust payroll controls, governance and audit readiness
• Partnering with HR, Finance and business leaders across the organisation
• Coordinating bonus administration and payroll-related reporting
• Driving payroll process improvements, automation and standardisation initiatives
• Developing payroll KPIs and reporting to measure performance and accuracy
• Supporting acquisitions, integrations and wider finance transformation projects

About You

We are looking for a proactive and commercially minded payroll professional who enjoys ownership, problem-solving and building strong relationships across the business.

Essential Experience

• Minimum 5 years' experience within a multi-country payroll environment
• Strong UK payroll knowledge and HMRC expertise
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers such as ADP
• Payroll accounting experience, including journals and reconciliations
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• ERP systems experience, ideally JD Edwards
• Experience within a multinational organisation
• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills

Desirable

• CIPP qualified or actively working towards qualification
• AAT qualification or equivalent
• Extensive EMEA payroll experience
• JD Edwards experience
• Exposure to payroll transformation and process improvement projects

What's On Offer?

• Salary up to £55,000
• Beautiful Harpenden office location
• Opportunity to work within a truly international business
• High level of autonomy and ownership
• Exposure to EMEA and APAC payroll operations
• Collaborative and supportive working environment
• Opportunity to influence process improvements and transformation initiatives

If you're an experienced payroll professional looking to take the next step in your career within a global organisation, we'd love to hear from you.