People Centre Senior Payroll Administrator

Babcock International; West Devon; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Matched contribution pension scheme

Employee share scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Cavendish Nuclear in Warrington, Cheshire or Devon, Plymouth, is seeking a Senior Payroll Administrator to deliver weekly and monthly payroll processes, maintain employee records, and provide expert guidance across the business.

The role is full-time (37 hours) with a hybrid pattern, requiring ability to obtain UK Security Check; CIPP qualification strongly preferred. Cavendish Nuclear offers a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive People Centre.

Qualifications

• Experience in payroll environments delivering weekly or monthly payrolls.
• Advanced Excel skills including VLOOKUP and complex spreadsheets.
• Experience maintaining employee data in a busy administrative environment.
• CIPP qualification or equivalent is required.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex payroll and people administration cases to successful resolution.
• Support weekly payroll activities to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery.
• Maintain employee records and ensure data accuracy.
• Provide expert guidance on payroll and people processes to colleagues and stakeholders.
• Lead by example and support Payroll Administrators to drive high standards and customer service.

Skills

Payroll administration

Data accuracy

Excel (VLOOKUP)

Team collaboration

Security clearance readiness

Education

CIPP qualification or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Job Title: People Centre Senior Payroll Administrator

Location: Warrington, Cheshire or Devon, Plymouth + Hybrid Working Arrangement

Compensation: Attractive Salary + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF76357

Help keep an essential function running smoothly while supporting people across a business that helps deliver national security.

At Cavendish Nuclear, we're working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Senior Payroll Administrator at Warrington, Cheshire or Devon, Plymouth.

The role

As a Senior Payroll Administrator, you'll play a key role within our collaborative People Centre team, ensuring payroll processes are delivered accurately and efficiently while supporting colleagues across the business. This is an opportunity to develop your expertise in payroll administration, take ownership of complex cases, and provide guidance to team members, all while contributing to a business that supports critical defence and nuclear programmes.

This role is full time, working 37 hours per week, based at Warrington, Cheshire or Devon, Plymouth. Flexible working arrangements are available, with a hybrid working pattern of two days per week in the office.

Day-to-day, you'll be required to:

• Managing complex payroll and people administration cases to successful resolution.
• Supporting weekly payroll activities to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery.
• Maintaining employee records and ensuring data remains accurate and up to date.
• Providing expert guidance on payroll and people processes to colleagues and stakeholders.
• Leading by example and supporting Payroll Administrators to drive high standards, continuous improvement, and excellent customer service.

Essential experience of the Senior Payroll Administrator:

• Experience working within a payroll environment delivering weekly or monthly payroll processes.
• Strong payroll administration experience with a focus on accuracy and attention to detail.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including the ability to perform VLOOKUPs and manage complex spreadsheets.
• Experience maintaining employee data and records within a busy administrative environment.
• Experience supporting colleagues and sharing knowledge within a team setting.

Qualifications for the Senior Payroll Administrator:

• Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals qualification (CIPP) or equivalent

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Cavendish employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually.
• Be Kind Day' enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Cavendish

We're Cavendish Nuclear - a team of c5,000 specialists and a core part of Babcock International Group.

Here, you'll be part of something bigger. Across clean energy, defence, and civil decommissioning, your work will contribute to projects that are critical to energy security and national protection. Together, we're shaping a future that lasts - not only through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance.

Join us and discover how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [e-mail] with the subject header Reasonable adjustments requirement'. We're committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone's free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working - please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 15/10/2026

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