Payroll Specialist

HR Heads; Woking; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Free on-site parking

Hybrid working 3 days on-site

Job summary

HR Heads is seeking a Payroll Specialist in the FMCG sector to own payroll governance across the UK and Ireland. You will work with an outsourced provider to ensure accurate delivery while maintaining in-house accountability for compliance and employee experience.

The role offers exposure to benefits, pensions, and global mobility, with a major HR and payroll systems integration project on the horizon. Hybrid work is available with three on-site days.

Qualifications

• Strong technical payroll knowledge and experience with payroll systems
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers and governance
• Familiarity with UK payroll legislation and taxation

Responsibilities

• Manage monthly payroll administration and governance
• Collaborate with outsourced payroll provider to ensure accurate payroll delivery
• Review gross-to-net calculations, deductions and payroll reports
• Administer pension submissions and auto-enrolment activity
• Support employee benefits and global mobility payroll activities
• Contribute to payroll systems integration projects
• Provide guidance on payroll, tax codes, deductions and statutory payments
• Build relationships across HR, Finance and the business

Skills

Payroll processing

UK payroll legislation

Outsourced payroll management

Pensions administration

Tools

HRIS/Payroll systems

Job description

Payroll Specialist | FMCG | £45000 - 50000 + Bonus + Excellent Benefits

Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 + up to 10% bonus + comprehensive benefits package

I'm delighted to be partnering with a market-leading organisation in the FMCG sector to recruit a Payroll Specialist for a newly created role within their People team.

This is not a typical payroll position.

Following the transition to an outsourced payroll model, my client is seeking a payroll professional who will become the organisation's internal subject matter expert, ensuring accuracy, governance and an exceptional employee experience across a payroll population of approximately 730 employees.

Whilst payroll processing sits with the external provider, accountability remains in-house.

You'll be the person ensuring everything is right.

Why this opportunity stands out

• Sole ownership of payroll oversight across the UK & Ireland
• Opportunity to shape payroll processes and controls
• Involvement in a major HR and payroll systems integration project
• Exposure to compensation & benefits, reward, pensions and global mobility
• Close partnership with HR Operations, HR Business Partners and senior stakeholders
• Genuine opportunity to broaden your HR knowledge whilst remaining a payroll specialist

This organisation places significant value on employee experience and is looking for someone who enjoys building relationships, solving problems and being a trusted point of contact for payroll-related queries.

Key responsibilities

• Managing monthly payroll administration and governance
• Working closely with the outsourced payroll provider to ensure accurate payroll delivery
• Reviewing gross-to-net calculations, deductions and payroll reports
• Administering pension submissions and auto-enrolment activity
• Supporting employee benefits including purchased annual leave, electric vehicle schemes, cycle-to-work, technology and healthcare benefits
• Supporting global mobility payroll activities alongside external advisers
• Contributing to a significant HR and payroll systems integration project
• Providing guidance on payroll, tax codes, deductions and statutory payments
• Building strong relationships across HR, Finance and the wider business

Who we're looking for

You may currently be a:

• Payroll Specialist
• Senior Payroll Administrator
• Payroll Coordinator
• Payroll Officer
• Payroll Manager within a smaller organisation

Formal payroll qualifications aren't essential.

What's more important is strong technical payroll knowledge, experience working with payroll systems and outsourced providers, an understanding of UK payroll legislation and taxation, and the confidence to operate independently.

Experience with pensions, benefits administration, system implementations or HRIS projects would be highly advantageous.

What's on offer?

• Up to 10% annual bonus
• Private medical insurance
• Life assurance
• Free on-site parking
• Free EV charging
• Hybrid working (3 days on-site)

Why apply?

This role offers something increasingly rare in the payroll market: genuine ownership, visibility across the business, involvement in strategic projects and the opportunity to broaden your exposure to wider HR, reward and mobility activities.