Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist

Full-Time 40500 - 49500 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Deliver accurate payroll services and provide expert advice to clients and teams.
  • Company: Join UKSBS, a leading public sector business service provider in transformation.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, supportive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Exciting career development opportunities in a modern, digitally enabled organisation.
  • Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team making a real impact in payroll services.
  • Qualifications: Experience in payroll management and strong analytical skills required.

The predicted salary is between 40500 - 49500 £ per year.

It’s an exciting time to join UKSBS as we transform our business to be the leading UK public sector business service provider. We aim to become a very different organisation over the next few years as we move to a modern multi-platform, digitally enabled organisation. We are looking for an experienced Payroll Specialist to join our Payroll team. In this role, you will play a key part in delivering accurate, compliant and customer-focused payroll services for a range of clients. You will help ensure our payroll processes run smoothly across multiple platforms, contributing to high-quality outcomes and a great service experience for our users.

The duties of the role include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Provide specialist payroll advice to internal teams and clients
  • Responding to complex payroll queries, escalating where required
  • Review, validate and guide on multi-year overpayment calculations
  • Own the In-Year and Year-End payroll processes for clients
  • Test payroll-impacting system patches and monthly releases
  • Act as the main payroll contact for change requests, ensuring smooth BAU integration
  • Support monthly BACS submission processes, including reconciliation and approvals
  • Reconcile PAYE, NICs and statutory deductions, submitting EPS/RTI and maintaining HMRC Gateway accounts
  • Identify and address payroll knowledge gaps across the team
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of process improvements
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll legislation, policies and best practice
  • Support occasional projects and other work aligned to business need

To do this role well you must be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Previous payroll experience managing large or multiple payrolls
  • Strong knowledge of payroll processes, legislation and best practice
  • Ability to manually calculate gross-to-net and overpayments
  • Strong analytical skills and high attention to detail
  • Ability to interpret and present complex data to different audiences
  • Strong oral and written communication skills and confidence in handling challenging conversations and complaints
  • Ability to translate complex payroll topics for non-experts
  • Proficiency with payroll systems; experience with Workday or similar
  • Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills
  • High degree of numeracy; Maths & English GCSE A–C (or equivalent experience)
  • Commitment to customer-focused service excellence
  • Experience in public sector payroll services or CIPP Advanced Technician/Payroll Specialist qualification are not essential but would be advantageous

Closing date for applications is Mon 5th October, with interviews taking place week commencing 12th October. Successful candidates may be required to undergo Security Clearance (National Security Vetting) as part of their employment. To meet these standards, applicants must normally have lived in the UK for at least the last five years and be able to satisfy background, identity and criminal record checks.

We are UKSBS. We are creating a place where people love to work, a culture where we lead, we change, we deliver and we empower our people to be curious, take action and add value. We look forward to hearing from you.

Payroll Specialist employer: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKSBS is an exceptional employer, dedicated to fostering a vibrant work culture that prioritises employee empowerment and continuous improvement. With a focus on modernising public sector services, employees benefit from comprehensive training opportunities, collaborative teamwork, and the chance to contribute to meaningful projects that shape the future of HR operations. Located in Swindon, Newport, or Stockton-On-Tees, UKSBS offers a supportive environment where staff can thrive and make a real impact.

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Contact Details:

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Recruitment Team

We think you need these skills to ace Payroll Specialist

Payroll Management
Knowledge of Payroll Legislation
Analytical Skills
Attention to Detail
Data Interpretation
Communication Skills
Proficiency with Payroll Systems