Payroll Analyst in Newcastle upon Tyne

About the Role

As a Payroll Analyst, you’ll play an important part in our Finance Operations & Control team. Reporting to our Payroll Manager and working closely with a supportive core payroll team, you’ll help ensure our colleagues are paid accurately, on time, and with care. Your work will span the full payroll cycle—from maintaining payroll and benefits records to ensuring compliance with legislation and internal controls. You’ll also contribute to continuous improvement by analysing KPIs, reviewing colleague MI, and helping us refine our systems and processes.

About You

If you have hands‑on experience running end‑to‑end payroll, you’ll feel right at home here. You’ll bring a solid understanding of payroll legislation, tax compliance, and absence management, paired with a sharp eye for detail and confidence working with numbers and data. Your communication style—whether over the phone, face to face, or in writing—will help you build strong relationships across the business. The role is fluid in nature; however, there are key cycle deadlines to deliver to, so you must have an organised approach, have the ability to prioritise requests, produce accurate end output, with an ability to adapt quickly to change.

Group Finance

Our functional vision is built on leadership, partnering for value, building specialised teams and ensuring our technology roadmap is based on future focused systems. The Financial Operations & Control function brings together all operational activities and centres of excellence within Finance. This includes everything from closing the ledger, through to regulatory reporting and technical accounting, as well as accounts payable and payroll. Sitting at the heart of Financial Operations & Control, our Payroll team is responsible for the accurate management and payment of payroll and benefits across the Group. We’re passionate about delivering an exceptional colleague experience and providing a high level of service. Collaboration is key, and we work closely with both Group Finance and our People teams to support colleagues across the business.

As an inclusive employer and member owned mutual, we aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We believe everyone should feel valued, respected, and celebrated for who they are, we want colleagues to feel this is a place they belong. A place to be you.

Financial

• Corporate bonus scheme (on target 5%, up to a maximum 10%)
• Pension scheme (up to 9% employer contribution)
• Annual performance related pay reviews
• Colleague mortgage scheme
• Electric car salary sacrifice scheme
• Life assurance (4x salary) and income protection
• Access to our financial advisers
• Access to a range of high street and online discounts

Work/Life Balance

• A 35-hour weekly contract - We are happy to talk flexible working and welcome discussions
• 25 days’ annual leave + bank holidays (rises to 30 with length of service)
• The option to buy and sell up to 5 days’ holiday
• Hybrid working (typically 3 days’ home based)
• Above statutory family leave entitlement - 3 months full pay, 3 months half pay, regardless of gender or route to parenthood

Health and Wellbeing

• Access to a health cash plan through a Medicash scheme
• Access to an employee assistance programme
• Free onsite gym at our Cobalt head office and access to discounted gyms
• Two paid volunteering days each year
• Cycle to work scheme

Recognising there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to recruitment, we’re committed to ensuring every candidate has the opportunity to showcase their full potential throughout the recruitment process. We strive to make our processes as accessible as possible, if there are any ways in which we can provide support or make adjustments, we would love to discuss this with you, you can contact your Recruiter for this vacancy.