Payroll and Accounts Assistant in Newport

Location: Pontyclun Office-Based

Salary: £32,000 - £34,000 per annum plus bonus

About the Company

Our client is a highly successful and innovative business with a turnover of approximately £25 million and ambitious plans for continued growth. They have built a reputation for investing in their people, embracing technology, and continuously improving processes across the organisation.

The Role

This is a payroll-first position, with responsibility for the accurate and timely delivery of payroll across the business. Payroll will be your core area of expertise and focus, ensuring employees are paid correctly, on time, and in compliance with relevant legislation. Alongside payroll responsibilities, you will provide support across accounts payable, expenses management and wider finance activities, making this a varied role within a growing finance team.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced payroll professional who enjoys being the go-to person for all payroll matters whilst also supporting broader finance operations when required.

Key Responsibilities

• Payroll & Employee Finance (Primary Focus)
• Manage and process monthly payroll for UK employees (approximately 80 employees).
• Take ownership of payroll accuracy, compliance, reporting and controls.
• Maintain payroll records, employee benefits, pension contributions and deductions.
• Act as the first point of contact for all payroll-related queries.
• Liaise with employees and managers to resolve payroll issues efficiently.
• Support benefits administration including pensions and employee vehicle schemes.
• Ensure payroll processes remain compliant with current legislation and best practice.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and reporting.
• HR Systems & Administration
• Maintain employee records within Sage HR and Go2Clock.
• Support onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Assist with HR administration and ensure data accuracy across systems.
• Produce reports and support coordination between payroll and HR functions.
• Finance & Accounts Support
• Support accounts payable processes and workflows.
• Process supplier invoices and assist with supplier reconciliations.
• Resolve supplier queries in a timely manner.
• Support bi-monthly payment runs and ad hoc payments.
• Maintain strong financial controls and audit trails.
• Expenses Management
• Manage and support the employee expenses process through SAP Concur.
• Review and process expense claims in line with company policies.
• Check receipts, coding and VAT treatment where appropriate.
• Resolve employee and approver queries.
• Ensure timely approval and reimbursement of expenses.
• Act as a key point of contact for Concur users across the business.
• Support expense reporting and reconciliation into SAP Business One.
• Assistant Accountant Support
• Provide cover and support across the finance function, including bank reconciliations, month-end support activities, cash management and payment processing, and general finance administration.
• Operational Support
• Support vehicle lease administration, insurance management and licence checks.
• Assist with carbon reporting and sustainability data.
• Provide ad hoc support to the wider finance team.
• Contribute to process improvements, automation initiatives and system development projects.

About You

The successful candidate will have:

• Proven end-to-end payroll experience is essential.
• Experience managing payroll within a busy commercial environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll legislation, pensions, benefits and statutory deductions.
• Experience using Sage Payroll or similar payroll systems.
• Previous exposure to accounts payable, finance administration or assistant accounting duties would be advantageous.
• Experience using SAP Business One, SAP Concur or similar finance systems would be beneficial.
• Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Strong organisational and workload management skills.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong communication skills and confidence dealing with colleagues across the business.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach and a desire to improve processes.

What's on Offer?

• £32,000 - £34,000 salary.
• Annual bonus opportunity of up to £4,000.
• Join a growing, innovative £25m turnover business.
• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays.
• NEST Pension Scheme.
• Free on-site parking.
• 40-hour working week (8:00am-4:30pm) with some flexibility.
• Stable, long-term career opportunity.
• Exposure to multiple areas of finance and business operations.
• Supportive and collaborative team environment.
• Opportunity to contribute ideas and make a genuine impact on business processes and improvements.

If you are an experienced payroll professional looking to join a growing and forward-thinking business where payroll is your primary focus, we'd love to hear from you.