Payroll Officer – Ireland & UK

Payroll Officer – Ireland & UK Healthy animals and happy owners – that’s the goal. IVC Evidensia is proud to be one of the world’s leading veterinary care providers based in 19 different countries. IVC Evidensia has revenues of over £3.4bn and network of more than 2,500 sites, including first opinion clinics, hospitals and out-of-hour centres and a number of pet crematoria and other ancillary businesses. IVC Evidensia operates a high growth model, typically looking to acquire around 300 sites a year across all countries. The Payroll Officer will be responsible for the accurate, timely and compliant delivery of the internal Irish payroll using Sage Payroll, while also providing support and resilience across UK payroll activities. The role requires strong payroll knowledge, excellent data capability and a clear governance and controls mindset. The successful candidate will ensure payroll activity is well controlled, fully evidenced and audit ready. They will work closely with HR, Finance, operational leaders and the wider payroll team to improve data quality, strengthen reconciliations and support continuous improvement through automation where practical. Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities: Payroll delivery * Manage the end-to-end processing of the Irish payroll using Sage Payroll, ensuring all payroll cycles are completed accurately and within agreed deadlines. Support UK payroll processing where required, including employee lifecycle changes, statutory payments, deductions, payroll adjustments, year-end activity and statutory reporting. Variable pay and payroll inputs * Review, validate and process variable pay, including overtime, bonuses, commissions, shift premiums, on-call payments, allowances, expenses and other payroll inputs. Confirm that supporting evidence and approval records are complete before processing, and investigate unusual payments, retrospective adjustments or one-off transactions before payroll approval. Payroll controls and validation * Validate payroll inputs received from HR, Finance and operational teams to confirm completeness, accuracy and authorisation. Complete pre-payroll and post-payroll checks, payroll variance analysis, duplicate checks and exception reviews. * Maintain clear evidence for all payroll transactions, adjustments and control activities in line with internal governance standards. Reconciliations and financial control * Perform payroll reconciliations after each payroll cycle, reconciling payroll outputs to source inputs, approval records, payroll journals and General Ledger postings. Investigate reconciliation differences and ensure timely resolution. * Support payroll-related balance sheet reconciliations, month-end close and year-end financial reporting. Automation and continuous improvement * Develop and maintain practical control tools, exception reports and reconciliation routines using Excel, Power Query and available reporting solutions. Identify opportunities to reduce manual effort, improve data quality and strengthen payroll controls. Support system testing, process improvements and enhancements to payroll reporting. Compliance and governance * Ensure compliance with Irish payroll legislation, Revenue requirements, pension obligations and statutory reporting standards. Support UK payroll compliance with HMRC requirements where required. * Maintain payroll records in accordance with internal policy, data protection requirements and audit evidence standards. Stakeholder management * Build effective relationships with employees, managers, HR, Finance and operational stakeholders across Ireland and the UK. Respond to payroll queries professionally, explain payroll outcomes clearly and work collaboratively to resolve issues at source. * Support the Irish leadership team through regular engagement and occasional in-person meetings. Experience/Qualifications: Essential: * Irish payroll delivery Confident end-to-end payroll processing, including inputs, calculations, approvals, statutory reporting and payroll close. * UK Payroll awareness Practical understanding of UK payroll processes, statutory requirements and payroll controls to provide cross-cover and resilience. * Governance and controls Strong controls mindset, with the ability to evidence checks, challenge exceptions and maintain audit-ready payroll records. * Data analysis Strong Excel capability, including reconciliations, variance analysis, lookups, pivot tables, data validation and exception reporting. * Variable pay validation Ability to review and challenge overtime, bonuses, allowances, one-off payments and retrospective adjustments before payroll approval. * Reconciliations Ability to reconcile payroll outputs to source data, approval records, payroll journals and General Ledger postings. * Automation mindset Comfortable using available tools to reduce manual effort, improve reporting quality and strengthen recurring control activities. * Stakeholder communication Clear, professional communication with employees, managers, HR, Finance and operational teams, with the ability to explain payroll matters in plain language. * Confidentiality and judgement High level of discretion, sound judgement and respect for sensitive employee and payroll data. Desirable: * Experience in a multi-site or multi-country organisation would be beneficial, together with exposure to payroll audits, control testing, risk management, process improvement or payroll system change. An understanding of General Ledger postings and payroll-related balance sheet reconciliations would also be advantageous. Following receipt of your application, you will be contacted by one of our experienced hire recruitment team. As a BAME and LGBTQ+ inclusive employer, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process. What We Offer: At IVC Evidensia we recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from * Work-life balance *26 days annual leave * Cycle to Work scheme * Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing * Pension * Discretionary Bonus * Discounted staff pet care * Dog Friendly office * Free Parking available at Head Office At IVC Evidensia we are a committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.