Senior Payroll Technician

Sapphire; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee ownership

Bonus program

Study support

Career progression

34+ days off

Team events

Job summary

Sapphire is an employee-owned payroll, accountancy and technology business supporting recruitment companies and contractors across the UK and beyond.

We’re now looking for an experienced payroll professional to join us as a Senior Payroll Technician, taking ownership of complex payrolls and acting as a trusted escalation point for clients and colleagues while maintaining the quality and accuracy of our payroll operation.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of payroll experience.
• Strong knowledge of PAYE and National Insurance.
• Ability to resolve complex payroll queries and issues.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Comfort communicating with clients and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of payrolls with accuracy and timeliness.
• Run complex payrolls per client requirements.
• Resolve complex payroll/technical queries.
• Act as escalation point for colleagues and clients.
• Ensure correct PAYE and NI deductions are applied.
• Reconcile payroll payments with Finance.
• Perform quality assurance checks to maintain accuracy.
• Monitor key financial controls and handle overpayments.

Skills

Payroll processing

Attention to detail

Client communication

Team collaboration

Payroll legislation knowledge

Job description

Senior Payroll Technician

Stockport | £29,500–£34,500 + employee ownership bonus

Top 5 Best Small Companies to Work For in the UK.

Take the next step in your payroll career.

Sapphire is an employee-owned payroll, accountancy and technology business supporting recruitment companies and contractors across the UK and beyond.

We’re now looking for an experienced payroll professional to join us as a Senior Payroll Technician.

This is an opportunity to take greater ownership of complex payrolls, become a trusted point of escalation for clients and colleagues, and play an important role in maintaining the quality and accuracy of our payroll operation.

You’ll still be hands‑on with payroll, but you’ll also support the wider team, help resolve more complex queries and contribute to continually improving the service we provide.

Why join Sapphire?

Employee ownership & significant bonuses

Sapphire is employee-owned, meaning our people share in the success they help create. Combined bonus payments in recent years have been around 50% of base salary. Bonuses are subject to company performance and individual eligibility, and are not guaranteed.

One of the UK’s best companies to work for

Ranked #4 Best Small Company to Work For in the UK in 2025.

Study support – get qualified

If you haven’t completed your professional payroll qualifications yet, we’ll support you to get qualified, including funding relevant CIPP study and qualifications.

Genuine career progression

This role can provide a route into further technical, management and leadership opportunities as your career develops and Sapphire continues to grow.

34+ days off

A minimum of 34 days including bank holidays and your birthday off, rising to 37 days with service.

Company trips and experiences

Our teams have travelled together to Las Vegas, New York, Dublin, Barcelona, Lisbon, Budapest and more as part of company incentive trips and celebrations. You’ll also benefit from regular team events, employee healthcare membership, enhanced maternity and paternity policies and our modern Stockport office with collaborative spaces, games room and bar.

What you’ll be doing

As a Senior Payroll Technician, you’ll take ownership of more complex payroll work while helping maintain high standards across the wider team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing a portfolio of clients and taking responsibility for accurate and timely payroll processing
• Running more complex payrolls in line with individual client requirements
• Resolving complex payroll and technical queries
• Acting as a point of escalation for colleagues, clients and internal teams
• Ensuring the correct PAYE and National Insurance deductions are applied
• Reconciling payroll payments and working closely with our Finance team
• Completing quality assurance checks to maintain high levels of payroll accuracy
• Monitoring key financial controls, including outstanding advances and overpayments
• Supporting colleagues with queries and sharing your payroll knowledge across the team
• Helping organise workload and priorities when required to ensure deadlines and service levels are met
• Building strong relationships with clients and understanding their individual requirements
• Supporting ongoing projects and improvements within the payroll team
• Keeping your knowledge of payroll legislation, compliance and industry developments up to date

Ultimately, our priority is simple: making sure everyone is paid accurately and on time.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone with 3+ years of payroll experience who is ready to take on greater responsibility.

You’ll ideally have:

• Strong practical payroll experience, with the confidence to manage payrolls independently
• Good technical knowledge of PAYE, National Insurance and payroll processes
• Experience dealing with more complex payroll queries and resolving problems
• Excellent attention to detail and a strong focus on accuracy
• Confidence communicating directly with clients
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage competing deadlines
• A collaborative approach and willingness to support and develop colleagues
• A solutions-focused mindset and the confidence to take ownership when issues arise

Umbrella payroll experience would be an advantage, but isn’t essential.

CIPP qualifications would also be beneficial, but you don’t need to already be fully qualified. If you want to continue your professional development, we’ll support you to get there.

Interested?

If you’re an experienced payroll professional looking for more responsibility, professional development and a genuine route to progress — while working for an employee-owned business where you can share in its success — we’d love to hear from you.