Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Payroll management

• Take full ownership and accountability for the end-to-end monthly payroll process for approximately
• Act as the organisation's payroll subject matter expert and primary point of contact for all payroll-related matters.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, compliantly and on time each month.
• Lead detailed payroll checks, audits, reconciliations and approval processes before submission and payroll release.
• Work closely with Finance to ensure payroll accuracy, effective financial controls, appropriate segregation of duties and senior stakeholder sign-off.
• Maintain compliance with UK payroll legislation, EU pay transparency, HMRC requirements, pension regulations and statutory obligations.
• Lead annual payroll activities including P60s, P11Ds, year-end processing and statutory reporting.
• Maintain payroll policies, procedures, audit documentation and evidence of controls.
• Keep abreast of legislative changes and implement required process updates.

Pay review, reward and job architecture

• Manage the annual pay review process, including data preparation, manager guidance, modelling, governance, approvals and payroll implementation.
• Support bonus, incentive and recognition processes, ensuring accurate administration and alignment with payroll requirements.
• Maintain and support the governance of the organisation's job architecture framework, including job families, role levels, grading structures and role data.
• Support job evaluation, role mapping and pay governance activity to improve consistency, internal equity and transparency across the organisation.
• Produce salary benchmarking, pay positioning and market analysis to inform reward decisions and organisational planning.
• Provide recommendations on reward trends, pay governance and workforce cost implications to the People Leadership Team and senior stakeholders.
• Ensure pay, role and reward data is maintained accurately across HR, payroll and reporting systems.

Benefits management

• Manage the administration and continuous improvement of the organisation's employee benefits portfolio.
• Act as the primary relationship manager for benefits brokers, payroll system providers and external benefit suppliers.
• Administer benefits including Private Medical Insurance, Life Assurance, pension schemes, Cycle to Work Scheme, Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme and wellbeing or reward benefits.
• Coordinate annual benefit renewals, market reviews, provider meetings and supplier negotiations.
• Analyse benefits utilisation, colleague feedback and market trends, making recommendations to improve the employee value proposition.
• Ensure benefits are administered accurately and integrated effectively with payroll processes.
• Provide expert advice and support to colleagues regarding payroll, reward and benefits queries.

Reporting, governance and compliance

• Own the production, accuracy and governance of payroll, reward, benefits and people-related reporting across the organisation.
• Produce regular reporting on headcount, turnover, absence, payroll costs, salary movements, benefits utilisation, workforce trends and other key People metrics.
• Develop and maintain executive dashboards and reporting packs for senior leaders, ensuring insight is clear, timely and action orientated.
• Lead annual Gender Pay Gap reporting and provide supporting analysis, commentary and recommendations.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and workforce planning through accurate workforce cost data and analysis.

Systems and continuous improvement

• Maximise the effectiveness of HR, payroll, benefits and reporting systems to improve efficiency, colleague experience and data accuracy.
• Act as a key stakeholder in payroll, benefits, HRIS and reward systems enhancement projects.
• Support the implementation of new payroll systems, ensuring effective planning, testing, data migration, stakeholder engagement and transition into business-as-usual processes.
• Identify opportunities to streamline, automate and simplify processes across payroll, benefits, reward and reporting.