Payroll & Benefits Associate (12 months FTC)

Overview

A Payroll & Benefits Associate position is available within the People & Culture team during a period of significant growth. This role is essential for delivering accurate, compliant, and scalable payroll and benefits operations across multiple entities within the Group. Reporting to the Payroll & Benefits Specialist, the role supports end-to-end payroll and benefits activities, collaborating closely with HR, Finance, and external providers. The role operates in a fast-paced environment, particularly due to ongoing acquisitions, and involves onboarding new entities while ensuring payroll, pensions, and benefits processes remain aligned, robust, and compliant. This position can be performed remotely.

Responsibilities

Payroll Operations & Controls

• Support the end-to-end delivery of monthly payroll across the Group, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to payroll schedules.
• Collaborate with HR and Finance to implement payroll changes related to joiners, leavers, contractual amendments, and organizational changes.
• Assist with payroll validations, reconciliations, and pre-submission checks, proactively identifying and escalating risks or inconsistencies.
• Support year-end payroll activities including preparation of P60s, P11Ds (where applicable), and audit readiness.

Pensions & Benefits Administration

• Support the operation of multiple pension schemes across different legal entities, ensuring compliance with auto-enrolment and regulatory requirements.
• Assist with assessment, onboarding, and ongoing management of pension membership.
• Liaise with pension providers and internal stakeholders to resolve discrepancies, interpret scheme rules, and support scheme changes.
• Support benefits administration including accurate enrolment, amendments, and governance.

Multi-Entity & Acquisition Support

• Assist with payroll and benefits integration for newly acquired entities, ensuring alignment with Group standards while accommodating local requirements.
• Support data validation, process mapping, and transition activities related to acquisitions or organizational changes.
• Contribute to documentation, review, and refinement of payroll and pensions processes to ensure scalability.

Payroll Systems, Data & Reporting

• Maintain data integrity across payroll and HR systems to support accurate reporting and audit trails.
• Produce and support payroll-related reporting for HR, Finance, and external stakeholders.
• Identify process inefficiencies or system improvements and contribute ideas to enhance payroll and benefits delivery.

Stakeholder Support & Advisory

• Serve as a knowledgeable point of contact for payroll, pensions, and benefits queries, providing clear and professional guidance.
• Support the Payroll & Benefits Specialist with complex queries, investigations, and escalations.
• Ensure all activities and advice comply with UK legislation, internal controls, and governance.

Requirements

Skills

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage complex payroll data accurately.
• Effective stakeholder management and communication skills, confident in advising colleagues at all levels.
• Ability to identify risks, inconsistencies, or inefficiencies and escalate or resolve them proactively.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage deadlines in a fast-paced, change-driven environment.
• Collaborative working style, able to partner effectively with HR, Finance, and external providers.
• Comfortable working with payroll and HR systems and contributing to process or system improvements.

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience in payroll, pensions, or reward operations within a multi-entity or growing organization.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll processes and legislation.
• Solid knowledge of pension schemes, including qualifying earnings, pensionable pay definitions, and contribution structures.
• Understanding of auto-enrolment requirements and pensions governance.
• Exposure to organizational change, acquisitions, or payroll/benefits integration is desirable.
• Familiarity with payroll and HR systems; experience supporting system or process change is an advantage.

Location

This role can be performed remotely within the UK.

Compensation & Benefits

Details regarding compensation and benefits are not specified.