Ocean Network Express
Senior Payroll Specialist
London
Posted about 23 hours ago
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The Role
We are looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist to champion and elevate the payroll and benefits operations across our UK and Ireland businesses.
In this highly impactful role, you will drive the development, performance, and ongoing maintenance of our reward activities. You will serve as the subject matter expert for our employees, ensuring they are paid accurately and have access to top-tier benefits - while handling the day to day administration of our benefits schemes, maintaining and renewing accounts and promoting the pensions and benefits provision across the organisation and leading on benefits projects and initiatives with the support of the Rewards & Benefits Manager.
Key Areas Of Responsibilities Will Include
Payroll Management
- Manage start-to-finish in-house UK & Ireland Payrolls for approximately 400 employees, including a modified payroll for UK expats.
- Ensure compliance with current Revenue legislation and our corporate policies, which includes conducting regular audits on data and systems.
- Assume responsibility for administering legislative changes (e.g. national minimum wage, auto-enrolment, tax and national insurance) and communicating these updates to the business.
- Ensure that submissions for pension schemes, HMRC and other statutory bodies are correct and completed on time.
- Reconcile monthly pension changes, submit final pension figures for payment and manage all auto enrolment responsibilities to remain compliant in the UK and Ireland.
- Liaise and advise the HR team and other Stakeholders on payroll and payroll related benefit inputs to ensure deadlines are met.
- Manage relationships with payroll providers to ensure staff are paid accurately and on time.
- Work closely with finance to deliver monthly journals.
- Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and errors in a timely manner.
- Review current processes to maximise efficiency, with the intention to automate wherever possible.
- Create, maintain, and regularly update process guides and flow charts for all payroll procedures, and provide training to wider HR teams to share knowledge and collaborate on system and policy updates.
- Maintain documented SOP and train dedicated HR individuals to be able to run the payroll and benefits function during absences.
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Benefit Management
- Take full responsibility for processing and reporting benefit changes (enrolments, changes and leavers) and reviewing benefit invoices and premiums.
- Take sole responsibility for managing pension schemes, including required submissions, reporting and auditing.
- Lead the promotion of benefit offerings to staff and support the R&B Manager in improving engagement levels with benefits offering.
- Prepare all data for the annual benefit renewal process, working closely with benefit brokers to meet their requirements.
- Regularly review and update intranet and policies with current benefit information.
- Create and produce content for annual benefit engagement plans.
- Provide monthly KPIs and research on benefits offered compared to the UK market to support proposals for future change.
Other Duties
- Act as first point of contact for all payroll and benefit-related queries while managing the shared inbox.
- Hold regular new starter induction meetings on Payroll and Benefits to ensure seamless onboarding.
- Review and submit invoices to R&B Manager for approval and sending to finance for payment.
- Manage annual payroll and benefit tasks, such as P11D’s/ payrolled benefits, P60’s and Gender Pay Gap reporting.
- Support finance in the preparation of our PAYE settlement agreement.
- Manage annual internal and external audits for payroll and benefits processes, alongside completion of regular pension audits and governance meetings.
- Support R&B Manager with EUA annual salary and bonus review, as well as any payroll and benefit initiatives and projects assigned.
- Responsible for UK & Ireland bi-annual budget preparation and monthly variance reporting
- Collaborate with our International Mobility team regarding UK liabilities due for staff on secondment to and from the UK.
- Manage UK reporting to stakeholders and HR team members on metrics including absence, turnover, pay variances and benefit engagement.
- Hold open-door events at UK locations to engage with staff, promote offerings and answer benefit queries.
- Carry out any other duties or projects assigned by the company.
- Maintain flexibility regarding working hours in accordance with operational business needs to assist the department in meeting its KPIs
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The Requirements
Essential:
- ADP iHCM2 experience.
- Significant experience working in UK Payroll and Benefits.
Preferred:
- Full CIPP Qualification preferred (or equivalent experience).
- Previous experience running Irish payroll.
- Previous experience running a modified payroll for expatriate employees.
- Strong Google Suite experience.
Competencies
- Ability to work with confidential data and communicate in a clear, professional manner.
- Strong communication and analytical skills.
- A self-learner capable of keeping up to date with UK & Ireland Payroll and benefits legislation.
- Excellent diary management with the ability to work to ongoing monthly deadlines and manage ad hoc projects.
- Ability to work independently on own initiative, as well as collaboratively as part of the HR & Reward team.
The Benefits
- Paid annual leave of 25 days per annum plus UK bank and public holidays.
- Hybrid working arrangement.
- Membership of the Company’s Group Personal Pension Plan.
- Performance Related Pay a pay award and discretionary annual bonus linked directly to their performance in addition to annual review.
- Permanent Health Insurance.
- Death in Service.
- Private Medical Cover (BUPA) after two years’ service.
- Employee Assistance Programme, with free independent confidential support and virtual GP services.
- An interest free annual travel season ticket loan.
- Family leave policies enhanced above statutory.
- Enhanced company sick pay policy.
- Medical health check.
- Annual eye test and contribution towards glasses for VDU prescriptions.
- Online employee discount platform
Application
The closing date for this vacancy is 31st July 2026, but if a significant number of applications are received it will close earlier.
Applicants must have an existing right to live and work in the UK.
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Skills
Payroll Management
Benefits Administration
Compliance
Data Analysis
Communication
Problem Solving
Process Improvement
Training
Stakeholder Management
Legislation Knowledge
Google Suite
ADP iHCM2
Pension Management
Auditing
HR Collaboration
Project Management
Location