Payroll Specialist

Reference
1109411

Branch
University of Warwick

Start date
23/03/2026

Duration
6 Months

Hours and days
Full time - 36.5 hours

Dress code
Smart Casual

Rate of pay
£14.07

Holiday rate
£1.70

Role

As part of People Operations, provide an accurate and efficient payroll service, supporting the wider payroll team with pay run activities, whilst maintaining data integrity. Applying specialist knowledge to prepare and analyse payroll reports, understand pay and tax information to resolve queries. Ensuring correct treatment for PAYE with statutory and University requirements.

Team/Function Overview

The Payroll Department is responsible for processing the University’s £491 m payroll with over 135,000 payments annually across University and Bureau clients and with a wide employee range including world leading specialists.

All employees must be paid in accordance with internal and external auditors’ requirements, government legislation, the University’s Financial Regulations and industry best practice. Failure to do so risks fines & reputational damage.

Duties and responsibilities

Payroll Processing

• Assist with the daily coordination of payroll starters, mid-employment changes and leavers in order to facilitate the monthly processing of approximately 12,000 individuals across both the University of Warwick and Unitemps bureau service.
• Process and validate payroll data in SAP Payroll, simulating pay changes, investigating discrepancies and resolving or escalating any issues as required.
• Ensure the timely and accurate handling of all employee payments and deductions (statutory and voluntary), including ad-hoc payments, annual leave purchases etc.
• Review accuracy of employee payroll records, such as review contract changes, apply and maintain contractual pension scheme changes, approval of paternity leave in line with legislation and university policy and procedures.
• Raise rejected UK BACS payments and non-UK payments, liaising with individual to ensure a timely payment resolution.
• Support Payroll Management and senior colleagues delivering the payroll service and provide cover as required for other Payroll Specialists.

Technical Payrun & Reporting Activities

• Manipulate and upload electronic payment files, investigate issues and errors, highlight to department, correcting as necessary. Undertake ‘spot check’ simulations of individual results and analyse the pay data results to confirm information accuracy.
• Carry out manual calculations of PAYE, National Insurance refunds and pensions.
• Run, review and act on pre-payrun and post-payrun reports to verify the integrity of data, undertake any necessary corrections and distribute to departments and external stakeholders as necessary.
• Support the production and distribution of statutory documents e.g. p45’s, p60’s.

Communication & Query Resolution

• Act as first point of contact for payroll queries, responding to employees, departments, the People Team, management and external stakeholders (HMRC, DWP etc), investigate issues, analysing pay results, provide explanations and escalate where appropriate.
• Communicate clearly with all levels of staff with dignity and empathy, providing general guidance regarding the SAP Payroll system, Government legislation, University policy in line with industry best practice.
• Manage secure information exchange to send and receive payroll information in line with GDPR e.g. payrun reports and electronic payment files, requested documents.

Legislative & Policy Compliance

• To be knowledgeable, up to date and compliant with increasing HMRC legislation, University policy & procedures including GDPR and Audit recommendations.
• Understand salary sacrifice and its implications on tax, NI and NMW.

Skills and experience

Essential:

• Numerate to GCSE or equivalent level in maths.
• Excellent time management skills working in a busy, high volume, confidential and complex office environment.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex payroll legislation in a clear and concise manner with a range of colleagues and other service users, including the confidence to challenge non-compliant requests.
• A comprehensive understanding of Pay As You Earn and National Insurance legislation.
• Knowledge of Paye As You Earn and National Insurance (NI) and salary sacrifice schemes and their implications regarding National Minimum Wage legislation.
• Understanding of parental and sickness absences and their impact on company and statutory pay.
• Knowledge and experience of IT. Computer literate with use of Word, Excel and emails.

Desirable:

• Foundation Degree (diploma) qualification from the Chartered Institute for Payroll Professionals.
• Experience of service delivery in a customer orientated environment.
• Knowledge and ability to manually calculate payments taking into account salary sacrifice, PAYE, National Insurance, Pension legislation and other statutory and voluntary deductions.
• Experience of SAP & SuccessFactors.

Location
On Campus - University Of Warwick

Additional information
Start date: ASAP