Payroll Analyst

Ascension Executive Recruitment; Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascension Executive Recruitment is seeking an experienced Payroll Analyst to own the end‑to‑end payroll process for about 1,200 employees across weekly and monthly cycles in Ireland.

You will prepare, process, reconcile and report payroll while liaising with external providers and internal HR/Finance teams to ensure accuracy, confidentiality and compliance with Irish legislation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in payroll within a medium to large organisation.
• Strong experience managing Irish payroll.
• Proven experience processing both weekly and monthly payrolls.
• Experience managing payroll for 1,000+ employees or a similarly complex environment.
• Experience with payroll systems and HRIS platforms.
• Payroll qualification such as IPASS / Payroll Technician qualification.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the full payroll function including preparation, processing, reconciliation and reporting.
• Support weekly and monthly payroll processing for ~1,200 employees.
• Validate inputs such as salary changes, allowances, overtime, deductions and benefits.
• Perform detailed payroll reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Review payroll calculations and analyse data for accuracy prior to completion.
• Prepare regular payroll reports and provide insights to HR and Finance.
• Coordinate payroll activities with HR, Finance, Revenue and external partners.
• Ensure payroll records are maintained accurately and confidentially.
• Support month-end and year-end reporting and audits.
• Act as primary point of contact for payroll queries.
• Ensure compliance with Irish payroll legislation and internal policies.

Skills

Payroll processing

Irish payroll

Data accuracy

Time management

Confidentiality

Communication

Education

IPASS / Payroll Technician qualification

Payroll qualification

Tools

HRIS platforms

Payroll systems

Job description

Our client is seeking an experienced Payroll Analyst to join their payroll function and take ownership of the end-to-end payroll process for approximately 1,200 employees across weekly and monthly payroll cycles.

This role will be responsible for payroll preparation, processing, reconciliation, reporting, and liaison with external payroll providers, ensuring payroll is delivered accurately, confidentially, and in full compliance with Irish payroll legislation and company policies. The successful candidate will work closely with HR, Finance, employees, and external partners to support payroll operations while identifying opportunities to improve processes, controls, and reporting capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the full payroll function, including payroll preparation, processing, reconciliation, reporting, and liaison with external payroll providers, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance.
• Support the end-to-end processing of weekly and monthly payrolls for approximately 1,200 employees.
• Validate payroll inputs including salary changes, allowances, overtime, deductions, benefits, pensions, expenses, and statutory payments.
• Perform detailed payroll reconciliations and investigate discrepancies, exceptions, and variances.
• Review payroll calculations and analyse payroll data to ensure accuracy prior to payroll completion.
• Prepare regular payroll reports and provide insights to HR, Finance, and management teams.
• Coordinate payroll activities with HR, Finance, Revenue, pension providers, and external payroll partners.
• Ensure payroll records and employee data are maintained accurately and confidentially.
• Reconcile payroll data to finance records and support month-end and year-end reporting activities.
• Act as the primary point of contact for payroll-related queries from employees and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure continued compliance with Irish payroll legislation, Revenue requirements, and internal policies.
• Support payroll audits and provide documentation and reporting as required.
• Assist with payroll system enhancements, upgrades, integrations, and testing activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, controls, efficiency, and reporting capabilities.

Essential Experience & Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in payroll, ideally within a medium to large organisation.
• Strong experience managing Irish payroll.
• Proven experience processing both weekly and monthly payrolls.
• Experience managing payroll for 1,000+ employees or a similarly complex payroll environment.
• Previous experience managing or supervising a payroll team.
• Experience with payroll systems and HRIS platforms.
• Excellent attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work to tight and immovable payroll deadlines.
• High level of confidentiality and integrity.
• Payroll qualification such as IPASS / Payroll Technician qualification.
• Experience in a multi-site or operational environment.
• Experience with high-volume payroll.
• Experience implementing or upgrading payroll systems.
• Experience with payroll/HR system integrations.
• Experience working with Finance teams and general ledger reconciliations.
• Maintains a consistently high level of accuracy when dealing with sensitive financial and employee information.
• Provides clear direction and support to the payroll team while taking ownership of overall payroll delivery.
• Able to manage competing deadlines across weekly and monthly payroll cycles.
• Investigates discrepancies and complex payroll issues and delivers practical solutions.
• Communicates clearly and professionally with employees, HR, Finance and senior management.
• Handles highly sensitive employee and financial information appropriately.
• Looks for ways to improve payroll processes, controls, systems and efficiency.