Southampton, United Kingdom Posted on 31/07/2025
The Payroll Specialist role involves administering and processing monthly UK payroll for salaried and hourly paid employees, with a focus on improving efficiency through automation, self-service, comprehensive reporting, and reducing manual processes.
OysterYachts employs over 500 staff in the UK, split approximately 30% salaried and 70% hourly employees.
The Payroll Specialist is a standalone position responsible for providing a comprehensive and compliant payroll service for all UK employees. The role is a member of the HR team but may transition to Finance in the future.
Key Job Responsibilities
- Manage end-to-end payroll processing, including onboarding, leavers, monthly changes, overtime, payslip production, and banking transactions. Focus on process improvements through automation and self-service solutions.
- Import weekly timesheets to record hours, overtime, and absences; produce internal and external payroll reports such as headcount, age analysis, month-end journals, RTI submissions, PAYE deductions, and pension contributions.
- Calculate and process holiday pay, statutory payments (paternity, maternity, sickness), and manage employer statutory payments to HMRC. Oversee pension administration and salary sacrifice schemes. Handle HMRC instructions regarding tax codes and student loans.
- Maintain the Private Medical Insurance participant list according to eligibility criteria.
- Monitor and administer accident and sickness insurance claims for hourly employees, ensuring timely payments.
- Process P60s and P11Ds in compliance with HMRC regulations.
- Ensure compliance with court orders such as CMA, DEA, AEO, and DWP; administer the Cycle to Work and Childcare Voucher schemes; maintain Apprentice Levy data; support HR projects related to compensation and benefits; provide reports on gender pay gap and pension data.
- Lead the annual payroll audit, working closely with finance and external auditors to provide necessary information.
- Stay updated on payroll and employment legislation changes and communicate relevant updates to the business in collaboration with HR and Finance leaders.
Requirements
Knowledge
- Proficient with Sage 50 Payroll or similar payroll systems
- Strong understanding of payroll processes, controls, legal requirements, and best practices
- Knowledge of HR/employee relations processes affecting payroll
Skills
- Intermediate Excel skills, capable of manipulating large data sets with functions like pivots, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, SUM, and linked sheets
- Effective communicator, able to explain pay-related information to employees and external parties such as HMRC
Experience
- Extensive UK payroll experience managing over 500 employees
- Relevantly experienced with hourly-paid workforce, including overtime and varied pay rates
- Proven ability to operate as a standalone payroll administrator or specialist
- Experience in process improvement, digitalisation, and automation of payroll functions
Qualifications
Not specified in detail.
Personal Characteristics
- Results-driven, deadline-focused, adaptable, self-motivated
- Hands-on, practical problem solver, committed to continuous improvement
- Customer service oriented, personable, approachable
- Change agent, methodical, rigorous, detail-oriented, team player
Other Requirements
- Willingness to travel to other UK sites approximately twice a year