Payroll Specialist

Randstad Finance; Lancashire; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 54,000; Part time

Job summary

Randstad Financial & Professional is partnering with a global healthcare and medical technology company to recruit a Payroll Specialist (UK Payroll) on a 6-month temporary contract. The role is remote with occasional office visits and offers a day rate of up to £260 via umbrella.

You will own the UK monthly payroll for ~250-260 employees across multiple sites, act as the UK subject matter expert, reconcile data with an outsourced provider, and collaborate with HR and Finance to ensure accuracy

Qualifications

• 5+ years of end-to-end UK payroll experience.
• Deep understanding of PAYE, NICs, RTI, auto-enrolment pensions, and HMRC compliance.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with outsourced payroll providers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the monthly UK payroll cycle for 250-260 employees across multiple sites.
• Validate gross-to-net figures and manage payroll data interfaces with the outsourced provider.
• Ensure statutory compliance including RTI, SSP, SMP, and year-end processes.
• Oversee pensions and year-end activities (P60s, P11Ds, payrolled benefits).
• Provide first-line support for UK employee queries and coordinate with UK/Irish HR, Finance, and vendors.

Skills

UK payroll experience

MS Excel

Autonomy

Proactive communication

Attention to detail

Stakeholder liaison

Education

CIPP certification (or equivalent)

Tools

Workday

ResourceLink

Zellis

Job description

We are partnering with a global, market-leading healthcare and medical technology company in their search for a Payroll Specialist (UK Payroll). This is an initial 6-month temporary contract (covering an upcoming retirement, with the potential to extend or evaluate permanent opportunities), offering flexible working (fully remote with occasional office visits) and paying up to £260 per day via umbrella for the right candidate.

The Role

Operating in an autonomous, standalone capacity for the UK business, you will take ownership of the accurate and compliant delivery of the monthly UK payroll for approximately 250-260 employees across multiple sites and remote locations.

Acting as the key UK statutory subject matter expert, you will manage end-to-end data gathering, validate inputs/outputs with an outsourced managed payroll provider, and work closely with international HR and Finance stakeholders to ensure a seamless employee experience.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-End Payroll Management: Lead the monthly UK payroll cycle for 250-260 employees, gathering overtime, deductions, sickness, and leave data, and transmitting fixed/variable files to the outsourced provider.
• Gross-to-Net Validation & Control: Reconcile and audit returned gross-to-net reports, investigate discrepancies, validate payroll interfaces, and manage BACS payment approvals.
• Statutory Compliance & Reporting: Ensure full adherence to UK revenue requirements and HMRC legislation, managing RTI submissions, statutory payments (SSP, SMP, SPP), and third-party disbursements.
• Pensions & Year-End: Oversee auto-enrolment assessments, pension file submissions, and year-end processes including P60s, P11Ds, and payrolled benefits reporting.
• Stakeholder Support & Query Resolution: Act as the primary contact for UK employee queries and partner cross-functionally with UK/Irish HR managers, Finance, and external vendors.

This role could be right for you if you have:

• Experience: 5+ years of end-to-end UK payroll experience, ideally within a multi-site or complex environment.
• UK Statutory Expertise: Deep, hands-on understanding of PAYE, NICs, RTI, auto-enrolment pensions, statutory deductions, and HMRC year-end compliance.
• Systems Exposure: Strong MS Excel skills; prior experience with outsourced bureau models and platforms such as ResourceLink / Zellis or Workday is nice to have but not essential.
• Qualifications: CIPP certification (or equivalent payroll qualification) is desirable, but qualified by experience is welcome.
• Soft Skills: High level of autonomy, proactive communication skills to liaise with cross-border stakeholders, and meticulous attention to detail.

Randstad Financial & Professional encourage applications from individuals of all ages & backgrounds. Appointment will be made on merit alone but candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to work in the UK. Randstad Financial & Professional acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment & an employment business for temporary recruitment as defined by the Conduct of Employment Agencies & Employment Business Regulations 2003