Payroll Specialist - Managed Services

Harbor is seeking a Payroll Specialist to join our team.  As a Payroll Specialist you play a key role within the managed payroll services team. You will be responsible for delivering accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing for a portfolio of clients. This includes end-to-end payroll preparation and thorough payroll checking to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with current legislation. Acting as a trusted advisor, you will resolve client and employee queries, prepare statutory and third-party reports, and ensure all payroll outputs meet agreed service levels. The role supports the delivery of a high-quality, value-added service by maintaining strong client relationships, proactively identifying improvements, and upholding best practices in all aspects of payroll delivery. You will be responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with employees and stakeholders, ensuring accurate and timely payroll services, along with clear and professional communication.

We prefer this person to be able to work in a hybrid environment from our Nantwich, England location, but are open to any UK candidates that can work remotely.

Key Responsibilities: 

Client and Stakeholder Management 

• Manage payroll inbox and respond to queries from HR, Managers, Employees, Third Party Suppliers. 
• Identify and suggest improvements to payroll processes and provide support to clients regarding employee pay and benefits matters. 

Payroll Operations & Compliance 

• Prepare payroll imports and changes in a timely manner and upload them into the payroll system. 
• Review payroll data, including manual checks and National Minimum Wage (NMW) compliance, and prepare payroll sign-off reports. 
• Prepare and upload statutory and third-party reports as required. 
• Ensure payroll processing is accurate, timely, and compliant with current legislation and company policies. 
• Complete annual payroll tasks including year-end processing, P11D submissions, and PSA reporting. 
• Generate routine and ad-hoc payroll reports for internal and external use. 

Systems & Technology 

• Identify and recommend process improvements across all payroll functions. 

Knowledge: 

• Strong understanding of manual payroll calculations. 
• In-depth knowledge of payroll legislation including: 
• Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act (ITEPA) 
• Workplace Pension Regulations 
• Working Time Regulations (WTR) 
• Knowledge of statutory payments and deductions (e.g., SMP, SSP, SPP). 
• Working understanding of Data Protection and GDPR requirements. 
• Experience with National Minimum Wage (NMW) compliance. 
• Ability to administer employee benefits and expenses. 
• Knowledge of termination and redundancy payments, and how to manage earnings for tax and NI purposes. 
• Experience with pension schemes, including salary sacrifice arrangements. 
• Understanding of Directors’ National Insurance contributions. 
• Familiarity with Share Incentive Plans (SIPs) and Long-Term Incentive Plans (LTIPs). 

Required Skills: 

• Strong mathematics skills and high attention to detail, with the ability to carry out accurate manual payroll calculations. 
• Proficient in running manual calculations for income tax, National Insurance contributions (NIC), student loans, and pension deductions. 
• Demonstrated experience processing payroll from end to end, including handling year-end procedures. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, including the use of formulas, VLOOKUPs, and pivot tables. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain payroll matters clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. 
• The ability to build effective working relationships and communicate confidently with both internal and external stakeholders.  

Desirable 

• Ideally holds a relevant payroll qualification (e.g., CIPP or equivalent). 
• Experience working with multiple payroll engines