Payroll Specialist

Work location: Reading, UK

Pay rate: £21.03

Working hours: 37.5 hours/week

Work Model: Hybrid, with at least one day per week in the Reading office. Additional on-site attendance may be required at the beginning of the assignment. Fully remote candidates will also be considered if they are a strong match for the role.

Durtaion: 12 months contract with a possibility of extension

Client: A global technology company that develops cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, database solutions, and AI-powered business applications to help organizations improve efficiency and drive innovation.

About the role:

Our client is looking for a Payroll Specialist to manage end-to-end in-house UK payroll processes for monthly payroll cycles, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations in collaboration with HR, Finance, and employees.

Responsibilities:

• Process payroll for assigned EMEA country.
• Validate payroll input data from HR and business teams.
• Review payroll calculations, deductions, taxes, and statutory payments.
• Ensure payroll deadlines are met each pay cycle.
• Reconcile payroll reports.
• Support month-end and year-end payroll activities.
• Prepare statutory filings and compliance reports.
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee queries.
• Maintain payroll documentation, standard operating procedures, and audit records.
• Participate in payroll system testing for legislative updates and Client releases.
• Work with internal and external auditors to provide payroll documentation.

Expectations:

• Experience processing UK payroll.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation, taxation, and statutory requirements.
• Experience with Client Fusion Cloud Payroll, Client HCM Cloud, or Client E-Business Suite Payroll.
• Degree in Finance, HR, Business, or Accounting (preferred).
• CIPP qualification (UK) or equivalent payroll certification is advantageous.
• Experience with ERP systems such as Client Fusion HCM.
• Core Competencies
• Attention to detail
• Confidentiality
• Time management
• Customer service orientation
• Analytical thinking
• Team collaboration
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to work under tight payroll deadlines

Knowledge of

• Payroll reconciliations
• General Ledger interfaces
• Payroll reporting
• Employee lifecycle transactions
• Benefits and pension deductions
• Advanced Excel skills (PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, formulas).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Experience

• 2–5 years of payroll experience.
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers.
• UK EMEA payroll experience.
• Knowledge of SOX controls, payroll compliance, and internal audit processes.
• Experience supporting payroll transformation or Client Cloud implementation projects. Similar multinational EMEA payroll roles also emphasize vendor management, SOX compliance, payroll journals, statutory reporting, and support for audits across multiple countries.