Payroll Specialist

Barclays; Northampton; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading financial institution in Northampton is seeking a Payroll Specialist to support a payroll system implementation. This hands-on role requires at least 5 years of payroll experience, strong Excel skills, and effective stakeholder management. The position offers a hybrid working model, incorporating both remote and on-site responsibilities across three days a week. Candidates should be adaptable and ready to contribute to a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

Paid holiday entitlement

24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

Access to lifestyle and retail discounts

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in payroll, preferably familiar with UK and Irish legislation.
• Experience in payroll implementations, ideally with Workday.
• Excellent communication skills and confident in stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Support the payroll system implementation (Workday).
• Perform payroll data reconciliation and validation.
• Execute functional testing of payroll scenarios.

Skills

Payroll experience

Strong Excel skills

Stakeholder management

Functional testing mindset

Adaptability

Education

CIPP qualification (preferred)

Job description

Job Title: Payroll Specialist / Payroll Consultant – Implementation Focus

Location: Northampton (On-site: Monday, Tuesday, Friday)

Contract: 6 Months (Contingent Contractor)

Overall Purpose of the Role

Barclays is seeking experienced Payroll Specialists to support the implementation of a new payroll system as part of a high-impact transformation project. This is not a business-as-usual (BAU) payroll role; instead, it's hands-on, project-focused work supporting the transition to Workday and delivering key elements of the payroll implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the payroll system implementation (Workday)

• Perform payroll data reconciliation and validation

• Execute functional testing of payroll scenarios

• Collaborate with payroll project teams and existing payroll operations

• Liaise with offshore payroll teams (India)

• Ensure accurate system performance through testing and validation

• Develop, review, and update working instructions

• Engage with senior stakeholders, including the Global Head of Payroll

• Deliver project tasks using Access methodology, both remotely and on-site

Key Skills & Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in payroll (UK and/or Irish legislation knowledge preferred)

• Strong Excel skills – must be confident with VLOOKUPs and large datasets

• Experience in payroll implementations, ideally with Workday

• Comfortable working in large organisations with high volume and pace

• Preferably CIPP qualified or part-qualified (not essential)

• Excellent communication skills and stakeholder management experience

• Ability to work independently in a fast-moving, unstructured environment

• Strong functional testing mindset and attention to detail

Working Environment

• Hybrid working model: On-site in Northampton three days a week (Mon/Tues/Fri), remote otherwise

• Fast-paced, evolving environment with shifting priorities

• Hands-on, autonomous role with no direct reports

• Candidates must be adaptable, confident, and able to contribute immediately

About Barclays

Barclays is a British universal bank, operating across retail banking, payments, and top-tier corporate and investment banking. We’re driven by our mission to help people achieve their ambitions – in the right way.

Our Values

Respect • Integrity • Service • Excellence • Stewardship These values guide everything we do – for our clients, customers, colleagues, and communities.

Diversity and Inclusion

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our culture and how we operate.

Hybrid Working

This role follows Barclays' hybrid working model: 3 days on-site in Northampton, with remote work on remaining days.

Contractor Benefits (via Randstad Sourceright)

• Paid holiday entitlement

• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

• Access to lifestyle and retail discounts