Senior Payroll Officer

LanesGgroup; Leeds; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job description

The Lanes Group are the UK's largest independent provider of water and wastewater solutions and services, we play a vital role in always maintaining the seamless operations of the nation's water systems. Formed in 1992, our half a billion-pound turnover ensures continued expansion for market share. Our key differentiator is our 4000+ staff and our resource pool that includes the most innovative fleet, plant, and equipment the market has to offer.

We are the UK's largest end to end drainage solution provider with depots strategically located across the UK from Aberdeen to Plymouth. As such we are committed to ensuring the health, safety, and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers. We are therefore looking to add a dynamic, enthusiastic, and talented individual to our team to help us achieve best practice in compliance and risk management.

About the role:

The Payroll Officer is responsible for overseeing the full payroll cycle while managing payroll-related special projects. This role combines routine payroll processing tasks with the responsibility of implementing improvements, updates, and compliance measures across the payroll function. The officer will ensure that employees are paid accurately and on time while working on key initiatives aimed at enhancing payroll efficiency and accuracy.

Location: Leeds

Hours: 37.5 hours ( Monday - Friday) for the right applicant we can be flexible around working hours/times and will considered reduced hours (no less than 30)

Salary: £34,000 - £36,000

Responsibilities - but not limited to:

• Payroll processing:
  • Work with the established team to ensure the accurate and timely processing of monthly/weekly payroll for numerous payrolls, including salaried and hourly staff.
  • Process payments for various employee categories, such as overtime, bonuses, commission, and other ad-hoc payments.
  • Maintain payroll records, including processing starters, leavers, and changes to employee details (e.g., salary increases, benefits).
• Payroll Queries and Issue Resolution:
  • Serve as the point of contact for complex payroll-related queries from employees, managers, and other stakeholders.
  • Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies or issues, such as pay errors, tax code issues, or pension contribution queries.
• Project Management for Payroll Initiatives:
  • Take a Lead and manage payroll-related projects, ensuring successful planning, execution, and delivery.
  • Develop project timelines, manage resources, and monitor progress to ensure projects are delivered on time and within scope.
• Payroll Process Optimization:
  • Assist with implementing new technologies or best practices to enhance payroll accuracy and speed.
  • Work closely with IT teams to integrate payroll systems with other business functions (e.g., HR, finance, time and attendance systems).
• Compliance and Regulatory Changes:
  • Ensure that payroll systems and processes comply with the latest UK payroll legislation and tax regulations (e.g., PAYE, NIC, RTI, NMW).
  • Assist with projects related to updates in compliance, including changes in tax laws, benefits, pensions, or national insurance contributions.
  • Conduct audits and risk assessments as part of the project implementation to ensure adherence to legal requirements.
• Data Analysis and Reporting:
  • Analyse payroll data to identify trends, risks, and areas for improvement.
  • Develop and present business cases for new payroll initiatives and project proposals.
• Documentation and Knowledge Management:
  • Maintain clear documentation of all payroll processes, project workflows, and updates to systems.
  • Assist with developing training materials and support guides for payroll staff and other stakeholders involved in payroll-related processes.

Experience and qualifications required for the role:

• Minimum of 4 years working in a payroll at payroll officer level.
• Proven experience in payroll processing, payroll systems, and/or payroll project management.
• Experience managing or leading payroll-related special projects, such as system implementations, process redesigns, or legislative changes.
• Experience in calculating and operating payrolling benefits for a number of schemes.
• Knowledge of UK payroll legislation (e.g., PAYE, RTI, NMW, statutory payments) and tax.
• CIPP (Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals) qualification or equivalent level 4.
• Other CIPP online learning certifications are desirable.

Skills and behaviours:

• Strong understanding of payroll software and systems.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for payroll data analysis and reporting.
• Familiarity with project management tools.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.

What we offer:

• 24 Days holiday plus Bank Holidays.
• Pension.
• Death in service.
• Training and progression opportunities.

This position is open to Internal and External candidates. Any internal candidates currently employed within a division of the Lanes Group must complete an Internal Application form and submit to recruitment.

The Lanes Group plc comprises of a range of established service providers subsidiaries, which complement the specialist service of Lanes, by both work type and geography. Increasing our overall capability, assets and offering to our customers.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from under-represented members of the community.

Strictly no agencies please.