Payroll Administrator in Rochester

About the role

Join our dynamic team at LNG Grain as a Payroll Administrator. In this pivotal role, you will deliver timely, accurate, and compliant payroll services for approximately 250 employees in a high-integrity, operational environment for a Private Equity owned ~GBP300m revenue Grain Isle facility and JV group companies.

The role manages complex shift patterns (e.g., rotating shifts, standby, call-out, overtime, TOIL), attendance-related allowances, and benefits through a Tier 2 ERP solution. It supports Finance and HR in monthly close, statutory reporting, audit readiness, and continuous improvement - ensuring robust controls and excellent employee service.

This role is based from our world-class facility in the Isle of Grain, Kent, and you can enjoy our hybrid working from office and home with the expectation of working on site 3 days a week. Please note, due to the location of the site you must have a full UK driving licence and have your own car to travel to site.

What you'll do

• Execute monthly payroll cycles, including starters/leavers, contractual changes, variable pay, and allowance calculations.
• Calculate statutory payments and recoveries.
• Process deductions.
• Ensure national minimum wage compliance considering deductions/benefits interactions.
• Liaise with payroll provider to produce payslips and validate payroll outputs; perform pre-/post-payroll checks and approvals.
• Maintain payroll configuration in the Tier 2 ERP.
• Collaborate with IT/ERP support for fixes, enhancements, testing, upgrades, and change control.
• Maintain master data quality and control logs; ensure audit trail integrity.
• Act as the first-line contact for payroll queries; provide clear, empathetic explanations on pay, deductions, and allowances.
• Partner with HR on contracts, leave, benefits, and employee lifecycle changes; partner with Finance on reconciliations, close, and audit.
• Build strong relationships with line managers and shift schedulers to ensure accurate T&A and allowance capture.
• Prepare payroll journals, accruals, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Reconcile gross-to-net, investigate discrepancies, and document variance analysis.
• Support cash forecasting for payroll, taxes, and benefits; coordinate with Treasury on payment cycles.
• Provide cost centre/project/site payroll reporting; support management accounts and budget/forecast processes.

What you'll need

• Proven experience in end-to-end payroll administration within a complex operational environment.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation and statutory compliance.
• Experience of implementing and working with Tier 2 ERP systems.
• Advanced Excel skills for data analysis and reporting.
• Excellent attention to detail, confidentiality and accuracy.
• Strong stakeholder communication and problem-solving skills.
• Self-starting with good organisational skills.
• Ability to drive solutions to complex operational and financial issues.
• Effective communicator.

What you'll get

A competitive salary between £42,781 - £50,736 per annum– dependent on capability. As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits.

More Information

This role closes on 27th February at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary. LNG Grain is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, LNG Grain may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.