Payroll Assistant

Location: Greenford / North West London

Salary: £35,000–£40,000

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday–Friday

Working Pattern: Hybrid working available

We are recruiting a Payroll Assistant to join the UK payroll team of a growing accountancy and professional services firm.

This is a client-facing payroll role supporting the Payroll Manager and working closely with an offshore payroll processing team. You will act as a key UK contact for clients, coordinate payroll information, handle day-to-day queries and support payroll checking, compliance and administration.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with payroll bureau, accountancy practice or multi-client payroll experience who wants to develop their career within a growing payroll function.

The Role

Your responsibilities will include:

• Acting as a first point of contact for allocated payroll clients.
• Monitoring the payroll inbox and responding to routine client queries.
• Keeping clients informed of payroll deadlines, cut-off dates and information requirements.
• Coordinating payroll instructions with the offshore processing team.
• Chasing missing payroll information and confirming bonuses, deductions, starters and leavers.
• Maintaining payroll workflow trackers and ensuring deadlines are met.
• Carrying out first-level payroll checks before Payroll Manager sign-off.
• Checking starters, leavers, gross-to-net calculations and pension information.
• Supporting weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly and monthly payrolls.
• Assisting with RTI submissions including FPS and EPS.
• Supporting P32s, pension uploads and auto-enrolment administration.
• Assisting with SSP, SMP, SPP, holiday pay, salary sacrifice and benefits.
• Maintaining accurate and confidential payroll records.
• Supporting payroll reconciliations and resolving discrepancies.
• Preparing information for KPI and SLA reporting.
• Helping identify errors and improve payroll processes and controls.
• Supporting payroll year-end activities and the continued development of the payroll service.

About You

We are looking for someone with:

• Previous payroll or payroll-support experience.
• Experience of UK payroll and an understanding of PAYE and National Insurance.
• Knowledge of RTI, FPS/EPS, statutory payments and workplace pensions.
• Experience dealing with client or employee payroll queries.
• Good Excel and payroll software skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent organisation and time-management skills.
• Clear and professional communication.
• The ability to work effectively to payroll deadlines.
• Confidence working with both UK and offshore teams.
• A reliable and proactive approach.
• The ability to handle confidential information appropriately.

Experience within an accountancy practice, payroll bureau or multi-client payroll environment would be particularly advantageous.

Experience using IRIS/Star Payroll, QTAC, PayCircle or similar payroll software would be beneficial.

CIPP qualifications or working towards a payroll qualification would also be advantageous, although study support may be available.

The Opportunity

This role offers the chance to join a growing payroll operation where you will gain exposure to a broad range of clients and develop both your technical payroll and client-management skills.

You will work closely with an experienced Payroll Manager while gaining exposure to payroll controls, compliance, pensions, client onboarding and service improvement.

This role could suit someone currently working as a Payroll Assistant, Payroll Administrator, Payroll Officer, Payroll Bureau Administrator, Payroll Coordinator, Payroll Executive or Junior Payroll Specialist.

If you have UK payroll experience and are looking for a role offering responsibility, development and progression, we would be keen to hear from you.