Payroll Specialist (12+ months FTC)

Primark Stores Limited; Reading; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Pension

Bonus potential

27 days annual leave + bank holidays

Tax Saver Tickets

Fitness centre

Subsidised cafeteria

Job summary

Primark Stores Limited is seeking a Payroll Specialist for a fixed‑term contract to deliver accurate in‑house payroll for UK and ROI colleagues.

You will support the Payroll Manager, ensure compliance with legislation, pensions, and year‑end processes, and drive continuous improvements while coordinating with global payroll teams.

The role emphasizes attention to detail, resilience under deadlines, and building strong relationships across payroll, governance, and wider business teams.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ payroll experience (UK/ROI) with SAP Payroll and Mega Pay.
• Strong knowledge of tax, pensions, statutory returns, and year‑end processes.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Deliver accurate in‑house payroll for 33,000+ UK/ROI colleagues end‑to‑end.
• Support Payroll Manager, sign‑off, deadlines, and risk management.
• Maintain compliance, pensions, statutory returns, and year‑end processes.
• Lead by example handling complex payroll workload with attention to detail.
• Drive process improvements and partner with global payroll teams.
• Build strong relationships across payroll, governance, and wider business teams.

Skills

SAP Payroll UK

Mega Pay ROI

Payroll processing

Excel skills

Regulatory knowledge

Tools

SAP Payroll

Mega Pay

Job description

Payroll Specialist

Because people are more than just your day job. Connect, our way.

People and Culture at Primark

Our team has created a workplace of inspiration and growth. Be a part of building an inclusive and empowering culture, where every colleague’s unique abilities are recognised and celebrated. Collaborate with a team committed to the wellbeing of our workforce, and define what it means to work at Primark.

What You’ll Get

People are at the heart of what we do here, so it’s essential we provide you with the right environment to perform at your very best. Let’s talk lifestyle:

Healthcare, pension, and potential bonus. 27 days of leave, plus bank holidays and if you want, you can buy 5 more. Because Primark is all about tailoring to you, we offer Tax Saver Tickets, fitness centre, and a subsidised cafeteria.

What You’ll Do

Please note: This will be a fixed term contract opportunity

We want you to feel challenged and inspired. Here, you’ll develop your skills across a range of responsibilities:

• Deliver accurate and timely in‑house payroll for over 33,000 UK and ROI colleagues, supporting end‑to‑end payroll processing and reconciliations.
• Support and deputise for the Payroll Manager, including payroll sign‑off, prioritising critical tasks, monitoring deadlines, and managing risks.
• Ensure payroll activities are compliant and audit‑ready, maintaining strong knowledge of legislation, pensions, statutory returns, year‑end processes, and Primark policies.
• Lead by example by managing a complex payroll workload with high attention to detail, reviewing complex correspondence, and processing third‑party payments.
• Drive continuous improvement, identifying efficiencies, supporting BAU projects, allocating resources effectively, and partnering with global payroll teams.
• Build strong relationships across payroll, compliance, governance, and wider business teams, while coaching and supporting team members and demonstrating Primark values.

What You’ll Bring

Here at Primark, we want everyone to feel valued – so please bring your authentic self to work, of course with some other key experience and abilities for this role in particular:

• Proven payroll expertise, with 5+ years’ experience (or a combination of payroll and broader industry experience), including hands‑on knowledge of SAP Payroll (UK) and Mega Pay (ROI).
• Strong technical and legislative knowledge, including tax regulations, pensions, statutory returns, and year‑end payroll processes.
• A hands‑on problem solver who leads by example, with detailed understanding of team payrolls and the wider payroll landscape.
• Highly organised and resilient, able to manage multiple priorities, work to tight deadlines, and remain calm under pressure.
• A collaborative team player with strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of coaching and supporting others while using sound judgement on when to escape.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism, and accountability, demonstrating Primark values, attention to detail, intermediate Excel/MS skills, and the ability to deliver with minimal supervision.

About Primark

At Primark, people matter. They’re the beating heart of our business and the reason we’ve grown from our first store in Dublin in 1969 to a £9bn+ turnover business a over 80,000 colleagues and over 440 stores in 17 countries today. Our values run through everything we do. In essence, we're Caring and always strive to put people first. We’re also Dynamic, bravely pushing the boundaries to stay ahead. And finally, we succeed Together.

If you need any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request, during your recruitment journey, such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, mobility access, or assistive technology please contact your talent acquisition specialist.

All offers of employment are subject to background checks, including right to work, reference education and for some roles criminal, and financial checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our talent acquisition team to discuss.