Full job descriptionPayroll Officer
Salary: £28,000 – £33,000, depending on experience
Location: Kent
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Working pattern: Flexible working, with hybrid working after probation
Holiday: 25 days plus bank holidays, 2 additional days over Christmas/New Year, and your birthday off
Employment type: Permanent, full time
Payroll is one of those jobs people only notice when something goes wrong. You know why getting it right matters.
Pay dates. Pension uploads. HMRC queries. Payroll legislation. Client emails. Last-minute changes. Confidential information that needs handling properly.
If you work in payroll, you already know it is not "just processing".
It is accuracy, timing, judgement and trust.
This Payroll Officer role sits within a growing payroll team in Kent, part of a fast-growing Top 20 accountancy firm. The firm’s careers information describes it as one of the fastest-growing Top 20 firms in the UK, with roles available across different levels and specialisms.
The payroll division is growing, so this is a good move if you want to join a well-established team where your experience will be useful from day one, but where there is still room to keep learning and developing.
Why this role is worth considering
Because it gives you proper client payroll responsibility, not just a narrow processing task.
You’ll be organising your own workload, processing payrolls for different types of clients, handling pension administration, reviewing payrolls prepared by other team members and communicating directly with clients.
You’ll also liaise with HMRC on behalf of clients and use your knowledge of payroll legislation to deal with queries properly.
That means this role needs someone who is organised, accurate and calm under pressure. Someone who understands confidentiality. Someone who can deal with clients clearly and professionally when deadlines are tight and details matter.
What you’ll actually be doing
You’ll be responsible for delivering timely and accurate payroll services to clients across a varied portfolio.
That includes:
*Processing payrolls on behalf of different client types
*Organising your workload to meet deadlines
*Handling pension administration across varying pension schemes
*Reviewing payrolls administered by other team members
*Communicating with payroll clients
*Liaising with HMRC on behalf of clients
*Using payroll legislation knowledge to answer client queries
*Maintaining accuracy, confidentiality and discretion at all times
Who this will suit
This will suit someone with at least three years’ payroll experience, ideally gained in an accountancy practice or bureau environment.
You’ll need experience with Sage 50 Payroll, strong Microsoft Office and Excel skills, and either a relevant payroll qualification or strong experience gained on the job.
CIPP qualification would be ideal, but it is not essential. Study support is available if you want to work towards CIPP, which makes this a good role if you already have solid payroll experience and want to formalise it properly.
You’ll need to be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, managing deadlines and keeping a high level of accuracy even when things are busy.
You’ll be a strong fit if you have:
*At least three years’ payroll experience
*Practice or bureau payroll experience, ideally
*Sage 50 Payroll experience
*Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills
*CIPP qualification, or interest in studying towards it
*Relevant payroll qualification, or qualification by experience
*Strong communication and interpersonal skills
*Good organisation and workload management
*High attention to detail
*Awareness of confidentiality and discretion
*Ability to work well under pressure
What’s in it for you?
You’ll get a salary of £28,000 – £33,000 depending on experience, flexible working and hybrid working after probation.
The benefits package includes CIPP study support if required, pension, group life assurance at 4x salary, significant long service awards, 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, 2 additional days over Christmas/New Year, your birthday off, and the opportunity to purchase additional holiday.
You’ll also have access to social events, an employee benefits portal with cashback and vouchers on everyday purchases, an Employee Assistance Programme, and regular training and development to support both professional qualifications and personal career goals.
Apply
If you’re an experienced Payroll Officer who wants a client-facing role in a growing payroll team, with CIPP support and room to keep developing, apply with a copy of your CV and our team will be in touch.
Please note, applicants must be based in the UK, and sponsorship is not available for this role.