Payroll Specialist - 12 month FTC

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world. We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them.

Working with every department at BDO, our Finance team helps us meet relevant legal requirements that ensure our firm operates effectively in a tightly-regulated field. They implement strategies that help us innovate – like combining new technology with traditional financial processes to make us even more digital. As part of this friendly team, you’ll enjoy flexible hours and have opportunities to take responsibility for the delivery of quality work. With your colleagues behind you, you’ll embrace change, new ideas and have an impact on the future of our firm.

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships. You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

Reporting to the Senior Payroll Specialist you will join an established team based in our Gatwick office. This role ensures that payroll for staff are processed correctly, whilst ensuring all queries are dealt with in line with the departments service level agreement. The role is a 12 month Fixed Term Contract.

In this role you’ll:

• Accurately input payroll data into the payroll software (Workday).
• Ensure all deadlines are met and adhered to.
• Provide excellent customer service support on the Payroll Services Helpdesk by email, telephone and to tickets, ensuring that payroll enquiries are dealt with in a professional and timely manner.
• Liaise with HR/Reward/Benefit Teams to ensure data received is complete and accurate.
• Assist in the checking of payroll data input.
• Prepare, check and process manual payments.
• Become conversant with BDO’s policies regarding all aspects of pay and benefits.
• Calculate Statutory Maternity Pay, Shared Parental Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Sick Pay.
• Assist with the various controls governing the payroll processes and offer solutions and ideas to maintain excellence.
• Investigate failure of correct payroll procedure processes.
• Comply with HMRC legislation at all times.
• Keep abreast of legislative changes and propose any necessary changes to ensure best practice and compliance.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.

You’ll be someone with:

• The ability to handle “difficult” situations when necessary.
• Payroll experience in a similar sized organisation.
• The ability to prioritise own workload to meet deadlines.
• Numeracy and attention to detail skills with the ability to follow a structured process.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Excel (Lookups, formulas and pivot tables) and Word.
• A qualification or currently studying for a professional payroll qualification.
• Previous experience using Workday payroll software – desirable.
• In-depth knowledge of HMRC regulations.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer every colleague the opportunity to work in ways that suit you, your teams, and the task at hand. At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs. Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions. We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.