Payroll Specialist in Hampshire

Are you a payroll professional with at least 2+ years proven experience running complex, high-volume internal weekly payrolls in a recruitment or umbrella environment? We are seeking an experienced payroll practitioner who understands the pressures of weekly deadlines, variable pay, and agency compliance, and can confidently operate as a senior point of escalation within the team. This is not an entry level role, so if you have hands‑on recruitment payroll experience and strong UK payroll legislation knowledge, we’d like to hear from you.

The Role

In this role, you will take ownership of end‑to‑end weekly payroll processing for temporary and permanent workers supplied by recruitment agencies. This is a hands‑on role requiring strong technical payroll knowledge, attention to detail, and the ability to manage high volumes accurately under tight deadlines.

• Run complex weekly payrolls from start to finish
• Resolve escalated payroll queries and technical issues
• Support compliance across PAYE, NI, pensions, AWR, IR35 and statutory payments
• Act as a senior reference point within the payroll team
• Contribute to system and process improvements

This role suits someone already operating at a senior payroll level (or equivalent), not someone looking to step up from a junior / administration background.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to‑end weekly payroll processing for high volumes of temporary workers
• Validating timesheets, variable pay, statutory payments, deductions and holiday accruals
• Managing complex payroll discrepancies and urgent corrections
• Acting as an escalation point for technical payroll queries
• Ensuring compliance across PAYE, NI, pensions, AWR, IR35, SSP/SMP/SPP
• Working with Merit payroll software (or equivalent high-volume payroll system)
• Supporting audits and maintaining accurate payroll documentation

Essential Experience (Applications without this will not be considered)

• Demonstrable experience running high-volume weekly payroll
• Strong working knowledge of UK payroll legislation and compliance
• Experience processing complex variable pay structures
• Confident in managing payroll deadlines independently
• Previous experience acting as a senior escalation point or mentoring colleagues
• Hands‑on experience with Merit payroll software or a comparable system
• Experience within recruitment funding or invoice finance
• Involvement in payroll automation or system improvements
• Experience working with timesheet portals and payroll integrations

Why Join Us?

• Influence payroll processes and improvements
• Stable, office based position in a growing organisation
• Collaborative, experienced payroll team environment
• Company performance-related bonus scheme.
• 22 days’ holiday per year in addition to public holidays. You will accrue a further day’s holiday for each year of service, up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Two personal days each year when you need to work from home, perhaps to sign for an important delivery or to have some maintenance work carried out.
• Enhanced family leave, including maternity, paternity, and adoption. You’ll be eligible after just six months’ employment.
• Company life insurance scheme of 4x annual basic salary.