Payroll Assistant

Payroll Assistant

Bradford / Keighley area

Up to £35k depending on experience

Full Time - Permanent

Hybrid, up to 2 days at home

A long-standing and well-established accountancy firm with a strong local presence is looking to add a Payroll Assistant to its Bradford-based team.

This is a smaller, personable team where experience, support and collaboration genuinely go hand in hand. You won't just be another payroll number here, you'll be part of a team that shares knowledge, supports one another and takes pride in delivering a high-quality service to its clients. There's also free on-site parking, making those office days a little easier!

You'll manage your own portfolio of clients from start to finish, working across different payroll frequencies, employee numbers, processes and client requirements. Some payrolls are relatively small, with around 15 employees, while others can be up to around 200 employees. You'll therefore need to be organised, adaptable and comfortable managing competing deadlines, while also keeping an accurate record of your time.

Ideally, you'll have gained your payroll experience within an accountancy practice, payroll bureau or similar multi-client environment. This type of background will give you a good understanding of managing several clients simultaneously, working to different deadlines and adapting your approach depending on the individual client's requirements. However, industry payroll experience will absolutely be considered.

If you've worked in an in-house payroll role but are now looking to move into a practice/bureau environment, we'd be keen to hear from you. The key is being able to demonstrate that you understand the differences between an in-house and client payroll environment - particularly the variety of payrolls, increased deadlines, client communication, time management and the need to regularly switch between different processes and requirements.

You'll need to be someone who is keen to learn, adaptable and genuinely interested in making the move into practice payroll, rather than simply looking for a change of scenery. If you can demonstrate that you'll pick up the multi-client side of the role quickly and enjoy the variety that comes with it, your industry background could be a really strong foundation.

Why this role stands out:

• Join a smaller, friendly and supportive accountancy practice where you'll be known and valued
• Work alongside experienced payroll professionals who are happy to share their knowledge and support your development
• Free on-site parking
• Flexible working hours to suit your lifestyle, for example, 8-4, 9-5, 10-6 or something in between
• Hybrid working available
• Take ownership of your own portfolio of clients
• Build strong, long-term relationships with a varied client base
• Variety across multiple payrolls, industries, processes and deadlines
• Exposure to payrolls ranging from approximately 15 to 200 employees
• Opportunity for overtime or time off in lieu during particularly busy periods
• A role where there is scope to develop your payroll knowledge and broaden your experience

What you'll be doing:

• Running end-to-end payrolls for your own portfolio of clients
• Processing weekly, monthly and mixed-frequency payrolls
• Setting up new payrolls and workplace pension schemes
• Liaising with clients to obtain payroll information and ensure deadlines are met
• Processing and checking BACS payments
• Completing payroll calculations and checking payrolls thoroughly before submission
• Supporting clients and employees with payroll queries, including tax codes, SSP, SMP, holiday pay and other payroll-related matters
• Managing different client requirements and adapting processes where necessary
• Interpreting payroll information and data provided in different formats
• Ensuring payrolls are processed accurately and within agreed timescales
• Keeping on top of your workload and recording time accurately across your client portfolio
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, templates and reporting
• Working closely with the wider payroll and accounts team, particularly during busy periods
• Keeping up to date with relevant payroll legislation and ensuring processes remain compliant

What we're looking for:

• Previous experience processing payroll, ideally within an accountancy practice, payroll bureau or multi-client environment
• Industry payroll experience will be considered where you can demonstrate an understanding of the differences between in-house and practice payroll and a genuine desire to make that transition
• A willingness and ability to learn quickly and adapt to working across multiple clients
• Experience managing payroll from start to finish
• Good knowledge of areas including SSP, SMP, holiday pay, tax codes and workplace pensions
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy
• Excellent organisation and the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously
• Comfortable switching between different clients, payrolls and processes without losing sight of detail
• Confident communicating with clients and dealing with payroll queries professionally
• Good time management, including the ability to accurately record and manage time across different clients
• A proactive approach and willingness to get stuck in and support colleagues when workloads increase
• Experience using payroll software, Sage Payroll and/or Xero Payroll experience would be advantageous

This is a great opportunity for an experienced payroll professional who enjoys variety, responsibility and working with clients, and wants to be part of a genuinely supportive practice environment.

Whether you're already working within a practice/bureau and looking for your next move, or you're currently in industry and are keen to make the transition into client payroll, the key is having the right attitude, solid payroll knowledge and the ability to adapt to a more varied, deadline-driven environment.