Practice is a chartered accountancy and advisory firm for creative businesses. We’re growing, and our payroll service is a crucial part of our Michelin-starred support for our clients.
About the role
We’re bringing payroll fully in-house and are looking for a specialist to lead the processing, coordination and client interaction. You’ll own a portfolio of around sixty monthly payrolls for client businesses across our three client teams. You’ll process each run and shape the operations behind it, and clients will know you as their payroll lead.
You’ll have real ownership of the calendar, the controls, compliance and the client experience. A senior colleague reviews every run before it goes out, and a director is on hand for the judgement calls.
What you’ll do
Run the monthly cycle
- Process every payroll in Xero Payroll to an annual calendar agreed with clients, including statutory payments, student loans, attachments of earnings, salary sacrifice, payrolled benefits, directors’ NIC and leavers.
- Handle off-cycle and correction runs, using the right RTI route for in-year and prior-year corrections.
Review & file
- Check each run against a clear checklist and share it for review with a note on key variances and anything unusual.
- Once it’s signed off, submit RTI, release payslips, produce P32s, and upload pension contributions on time.
Ownership
- Take ownership of RTI, P60s, year-end and automatic enrolment: assessments, communications, contributions, re-enrolment and declarations of compliance.
- Keep payroll data secure and act only on instructions from trusted channels.
- Consider any complex terminations, discretionary payments, NMW and employment status questions with the support of a Portfolio Lead.
Look after clients and shape the service
- Be the named payroll contact for every client and onboard new payroll clients.
- Own and refine our payroll process, and keep set-ups consistent across clients.
What you’ll bring
- Hands-on UK payroll experience in a bureau or practice, personally running 50+ payrolls a month.
- Strong knowledge of PAYE, RTI, statutory payments and auto-enrolment.
- Xero Payroll essential. NEST, Smart Pension and People’s Pension are a plus, and CIPP is welcome.
- Rigour in checking your own work, confidence in managing client deadlines, and a sharp eye for anything that doesn’t look right.
Working pattern
Three days a week (22.5 hours), which you can spread across the week, with some flex around the busier points in the payroll cycle. We’ll agree a stable pattern at offer, because clients plan around our payroll calendar.
What success looks like in year one
- You’re running the full portfolio in-house within your first three months.
- Every run and filing is on time and right first time.
- You’ve built a consistent, well-documented service across all clients.
- Clients see you as their go-to for payroll.
What we offer
Salary range between £34,000 and £38,000 gross - or £20,400 to £22,800 calculated pro rate on the basis of 0.6 FTE. Statutory pension entitlement, pro rata entitlement to 25 day holiday allowance plus bank holidays, flexible/remote working, CIPP/CPD support, other benefits.
Equal opportunities
Practice is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from everyone. We’ll make reasonable adjustments at any stage, so just ask. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. This job description is not contractual and may be updated in consultation with the postholder.
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