Payroll & Pension Specialist in Swindon

Are you an experienced payroll and benefits professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys delivering expert support to colleagues and stakeholders? We're looking for a Payroll and Benefits Specialist to join our team, where you'll play a key role in ensuring the accurate and efficient delivery of payroll, pensions and employee benefits services across the organisation. This is a fantastic opportunity to combine technical expertise, legislative knowledge and customer-focused service, while contributing to the continuous improvement of payroll and benefits processes that directly impact thousands of employees and pensioners. We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best. The working hours (per week) for this role can be between 28 and 35 hours. This is a 6-month Fixed Term Contract opportunity.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected. For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at our Swindon office.

If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here. If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

Responsibilities

As a Payroll and Benefits Specialist, you'll be responsible for delivering an efficient and professional payroll, pensions and benefits service while ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation and regulatory requirements. You'll manage key processes relating to payroll operations, group personal pension arrangements, pension cash allowances, death-in-service benefits and incapacity enhancement schemes, providing expert guidance and support to colleagues, stakeholders and external partners.

You'll oversee payroll activities including monthly and weekly payroll processing, month-end activities, third-party payments and payroll account reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and adherence to service levels and statutory deadlines. You'll also play a vital role in maintaining pension administration systems, monitoring legislative changes, producing management information, responding to complex queries and identifying opportunities to improve processes and customer outcomes.

Working closely with internal teams and external organisations such as HMRC, pension providers and insurers, you'll ensure all administration activities remain compliant, well controlled and customer focused. You'll also support audits, financial controls testing and reporting requirements, while helping to develop the knowledge and capability of colleagues through collaboration, cross-skilling and sharing best practice.

About you

You will have:

• Substantial experience in payroll and/or pensions administration, with a strong understanding of payroll legislation, statutory payments, occupational pension arrangements, auto-enrolment and state pension provision.
• Excellent numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, identify issues and deliver accurate outcomes within demanding timescales.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the confidence to explain complex legislative and payroll matters clearly to colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail, ensuring accuracy across payroll processing, pensions administration and compliance activities.
• Proven ability to review, challenge and improve processes through innovative thinking and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Strong working knowledge of payroll processes and procedures, including payroll calculations, payroll interfaces and BACS processes.
• Able to work independently while collaborating effectively within a team, sharing knowledge and supporting the development of colleagues through cross-skilling and upskilling.
• Proactive, adaptable and customer-focused, with a commitment to delivering an excellent service while maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality, compliance and professionalism.

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind.
• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand.
• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development.
• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes.

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

Qualifications

The extras you’ll get:

• 25 days holiday, pro rata.
• Private medical insurance.
• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement.
• Access to an annual performance-related bonus.
• Training and development to help you progress your career.
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death.
• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness.
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year.

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. We forge our own path at Nationwide. As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives. If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us. At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society. We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application. Keeping your data and personal information confidential is important to us.

If you want to find out more about using AI in our recruitment process, please read more here.

Disability Confident

We’re not just guided by data, we’re driven by the real experiences of our people. We’re a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader, the highest level. That’s why we’re constantly evolving our policies and practices to make sure everyone feels genuinely supported, valued, and empowered to champion inclusion. Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you. If you need any additional support throughout your application journey, email our team at Recruitment Support.

Apply safely with Nationwide. Recruitment scams can look convincing, so take a moment to check the role is listed on our official careers site and read our guidance on Don’t be conned by a job scam.