Payroll Analyst

Job Title: Payroll Analyst
Location: Manchester / Hybrid
Salary: £34,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Payroll Analyst to join a growing finance team, supporting the delivery of a high-quality payroll service across the UK and Ireland.

Reporting to the Payroll Manager, you will play a key role in ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining compliance with payroll legislation and internal controls.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong payroll knowledge who enjoys analysing data, improving processes, and working closely with stakeholders across the business.

Key Responsibilities of the Payroll Analyst:

• Support the delivery of accurate, timely, and compliant monthly payrolls across the UK and Ireland.
• Review and validate payroll data, including new starters, leavers, salary changes, contractual amendments, and employee records.
• Complete detailed payroll checks to ensure payroll calculations are accurate and compliant with current legislation.
• Process manual payments, payroll adjustments, and corrections where required.
• Administer statutory payments including SSP, SMP, SPP, SAP and Shared Parental Pay.
• Investigate and resolve payroll queries from employees, managers, HR, and other business stakeholders.
• Build strong working relationships with external payroll providers to ensure payrolls are processed accurately and efficiently.
• Produce payroll reconciliations, reports, and analysis to support payroll accuracy and business reporting.
• Maintain accurate payroll records, ensuring compliance with GDPR and audit requirements.
• Monitor payroll controls, identifying discrepancies, risks, and opportunities for process improvements.
• Provide payroll guidance and advice to internal stakeholders.
• Support payroll projects, system enhancements, testing activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Candidate Profile

• Previous experience in an end-to-end payroll position within a medium or large organisation.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation, statutory payments, PAYE, National Insurance, and payroll compliance.
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers would be advantageous.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to review payroll data and identify discrepancies.
• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with payroll systems.
• Experience producing payroll reports, reconciliations, and audit documentation.
• Excellent attention to detail with a methodical and organised approach.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build relationships across Finance, HR, and the wider business.
• Experience supporting payroll process improvements or payroll systems projects would be beneficial.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a collaborative organisation where you can further develop your payroll expertise while contributing to continuous improvement and delivering an outstanding payroll service.

To be considered for this Payroll Analyst opportunity, you must APPLY NOW, making sure to attach your up-to-date CV.

*Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial telephone interview. If selected from the shortlist, a formal interview process will then begin.