Payroll Administrator in Newtownabbey

At Henderson Group, we are proud to be one of Northern Ireland's leading organisations. Employing more than 6,000 colleagues across the UK and Ireland, the group encompasses Henderson Wholesale, Henderson Retail, Henderson Foodservice & Henderson Technology. Henderson Wholesale achieved Gold accreditation against the Investors in People standard framework in 2023 in recognition of people management excellence and our commitment to investment in people.

Our Payroll Team provides a holistic service to all Henderson Group Companies (Henderson Wholesale, Henderson Retail, Henderson Foodservice, Henderson Group Property and Henderson Technology), in addition to a sizeable number of external independent retailers. We deal with a high volume of payrolls for 80+ companies, 5000+ Henderson Group employees, and over 3000 independent retail partner employees.

As a Group Payroll Administrator, you will be combining your knowledge of payroll requirements and calculations with excellent customer service skills to ensure that payroll data is processed and validated within timelines and guidelines. As a key part of our team, you will ensure that everything is in order by correcting errors, updating systems, and carrying out regular checks.

Skills for Success

• Administer weekly, lunar, and monthly payroll within specified deadlines, including processing new starters, employee changes, leavers, promotions, salary increases, bonuses, and statutory payments (SSP, CSP, SMP, CMP, SPP).
• Respond to and resolve payroll queries from managers and external customers in a timely manner.
• Assist with detailed payroll auditing and checking procedures to ensure accuracy.
• Handle correspondence and enquiries from external parties.
• Update and maintain company Time & Attendance systems.
• Issue ID cards, Time & Attendance passes, and benefit cards to new employees.
• Process BACS payments, employee advances, loans, and third-party payments (e.g. NEST and HMRC).
• Process employee expenses, ensuring compliance with revenue and VAT regulations.
• Maintain payroll systems, including Payroll, Time & Attendance, access systems, and other employee-related systems.
• Update payroll accounts files for weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting.
• Escalate issues, queries, and concerns to the Payroll Team Leader in a timely manner.
• Continually update knowledge and identify development opportunities.
• Produce reports and analyse data as part of audit processes.
• Carry out daily tasks using Microsoft Excel, Outlook, payroll systems, NEST, and other people systems.
• Support other members of the Payroll Team with additional duties as required.
• Deliver excellent service to both internal and external customers at all times.

Joining us as Payroll Administrator the minimum criteria you'll need is:

• GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above (or equivalent).
• A minimum of 1 years payroll experience within an office environment.
• High level of computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Outlook.

The Attributes you'll need include:

• A strong team player with excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and meet deadlines effectively.
• High level of accuracy with strong attention to detail.
• Adaptable, flexible, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills with a strong customer focus.

Desirable Experience

• Experience using Cintra Payroll.
• Knowledge of Henderson Group companies.
• Experience processing NEST pensions and handling related queries.
• Payroll Bureau experience.
• Knowledge of bank reconciliations.
• Familiarity with computerised Time & Attendance systems.
• Experience with electronic banking.

Are we right for you?

As part of this role, it will be important that you feel aligned with the values that we live and work by.

• Ambition: We always strive to be better. We seek new challenges and look for ways to do things better.
• Customer First: We provide exceptional service. We put customers at the heart of everything and support our communities.
• Teamwork: We succeed together. We help colleagues to succeed, and we share our knowledge and skills.
• Integrity: We are fair, honest and ethical. We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We are inclusive and champion diversity.

The Reward

The impact you can make with Henderson Group goes far beyond your day to day. You will be part of a business supporting defibrillator installations and school sports days. In the last year Henderson group staff and retail stores raised over £1 million for charity partners. Our business has been recognised externally for delivering excellence in employment. We value employee development and heavily invest in our people.

Benefits include market competitive salary, contributory pension scheme, healthcare cashback scheme, life assurance, employee assistance programme, social club, Perks Offers/Discount scheme throughout UK/Ireland, staff discount (grocery/fuel) at SPAR/EUROSPAR Henderson Group company-owned stores and many more.

This is a full-time position working 36.5 hours per week. Working hours will be 8:45am-4:45pm Monday to Thursday and 8:45am-3:45pm Friday.

If you'd like to speak with us before making your application, our Talent Acquisition Specialist - Joanne McClelland would be happy to have a confidential chat with you about the role on offer - email to get in touch. Completed applications must be submitted online by midnight on Sunday 7th June 2026. We are an equal opportunities employer.