Senior Payroll Advisor

Location: Icon 1, WA15 0AF

About Central Functions

Central Functions is formed of the teams and people that serve the entire business. These people are integral to the smooth running of the business; ensuring everyone is paid on time, that materials are sourced and arrive promptly, that we meet our legal obligations and that our health, safety, and security is safeguarded.

About the Role

We have an exciting vacancy for a talented and experienced payroll individual to join our payroll department located within the HR Shared Service function. You will be part of a collaborative team that are pro-active and driven with a “can do” attitude. The team operates with a personal and friendly approach to ensure the employee lifecycle function associated with payroll is a positive experience.

The successful candidate will be adaptable to change and have the skills and abilities “to hit the ground running”. Previous experience of working in a fast paced, multi complex and large volume payroll department who enjoys working collaboratively with their colleagues then this role is for you.

Responsibilities:

Under the guidance of the Payroll Manager, you would be assisting in the delivery of full end to end payroll processing

• Payroll Processing & Data Management: Manage end-to-end payroll processing for 5000+ UK employees across various pay frequencies, ensuring compliance with company policies and statutory regulations. Input and validate variable data such as bonuses, commissions, overtime, and absences using the ADP IHCM system.

• Statutory & Pension Compliance: Calculate and process all statutory deductions (Tax, NI, pensions), manage parental leave, SSP, AEOs, and ensure compliance with PAYE and HMRC guidelines. Support Workplace Pension delivery, including reconciliation, enrolments, contributions, and audit tracking.

• Employee Lifecycle & Benefits Administration: Process starters and leavers, administer employee benefits (Childcare Vouchers, Cycle to Work, Tech Scheme, etc.), and reconcile deductions with third-party providers.

• Oversight, Support & Training: Provide second-line support for escalated payroll queries, assist and audit work completed by Payroll Advisors/Juniors, and deliver training and guidance to develop their skillsets.

• Reporting, Auditing & Stakeholder Engagement: Produce payroll reports for validation and auditing, liaise with internal departments, third-party providers, government bodies, and auditors to ensure compliance and maintain professional relationships.

• Projects & Continuous Improvement: Participate in payroll-related projects to enhance systems and knowledge, while keeping up to date with changing legislation and best practices.

Requirements:

• Payroll Expertise: Over 5 years’ experience in payroll, with strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, tax regulations, salary sacrifice schemes, and compliance requirements. Experience with ADP IHCM and manual payroll calculations for complex scenarios.

• Technical Skills: Proficient in Excel, including V-Lookups and pivot tables, with high attention to detail and accuracy in processing payroll and pension data.

• Organisational & Communication Skills: Excellent time management and ability to manage multiple payroll cycles and deadlines. Strong written and verbal communication skills focused on providing clear, first-time resolutions.

• Adaptability & Continuous Improvement: Able to adapt to changes in systems or business processes, with experience contributing to continuous improvement within a shared service environment.

• Leadership & Mentoring: Proven ability to support, guide, and mentor junior payroll staff, tailoring training approaches to individual learning styles.

Benefits:

Career Development

• Access bespoke development programmes that have been designed and developed by our in-house L&D team.
• Continued development through our upskilling programme that is delivered in partnership with an industry-leading training provider.

Enhanced Leave

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Don’t want to work on your birthday? We don’t either! Enjoy your day off on us!
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, depending on length of service.
• Up to 10 days compassionate leave.
• Buy back up to 3 days each year.
• Unlock 2 days volunteer leave after 12-months.

Wellbeing Support

• Access face-to-face and virtual appointments with our in-house GP.
• Access our in-house CBT therapist.
• Access our 247 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which is provided by Bupa.
• State-of-the-art on-site gym.
• Access to our on-site physio.

Other Perks

• Save up to 12% on the cost of personal tech through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• Subsidised bus pass from Manchester City Centre to our ICON office.
• Up to 50% staff discount on THG brands.
• On-site staff shop.
• Access to on-site barber.
• Know someone who would be perfect for THG? Refer them and get up to £1000 when they pass their probation.
• Anniversary gifts when you hit 5 and 10 years of service.