Payroll Administrator  
12-month fixed-term contract
Monday – Friday pm / pm flexible but 5 days onsite
Nantwich £30,000 – £32,000

Our client is a long-established, highly respected professional services practice based in the heart of Cheshire. With a heritage spanning nearly a century, they have built an outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality advice and support to businesses and individuals alike.

Combining traditional values with a forward-thinking approach, the firm prides itself on strong technical expertise paired with genuine commercial understanding. Their collaborative and partner-led approach ensure clients receive tailored, practical guidance that supports both day-to-day operations and long-term growth.

Working with a diverse client base ranging from owner-managed businesses to specialist sectors, the practice offers a comprehensive range of services including accounts, audit, taxation, payroll, and corporate finance. They also provide specialist expertise within sectors such as agriculture and medical/NHS finance.

As a Payroll Administrator you will be primarily responsible for assisting with the administration and processing of payrolls within the team and to provide a first-class payroll bureau service.

This role is initially a 12-month fixed-term contract covering maternity leave therefore, the successful applicant must be able to commit to the entire tenure. Possible opportunity to permanent post contract where business needs allow.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for the day-to-day administration of small to medium size client payrolls from end to end with little or no supervision.
• Use STAR/IRIS Payroll Professional software efficiently, including import/exports.
• To process all types of manual payroll calculations, including Director's NI.
• To have an extensive knowledge of PAYE/NIC and statutory payments e.g. redundancy, SMP/SAP, SPP and SSP when running client payrolls.
• To possess knowledge of auto enrolment pension schemes for the purpose of payroll processing,
• To send BACS payments.
• Assist with small client setups.
• Proactively develop and keep up to date with new payroll legislation and compliance.
• Proactively carry out payroll reconciliations and analysis with no supervision.
• Proactively liaise with HMRC and assist with more technical enquiries when they arise.
• To use own initiative to resolve issues and to assist the team where possible, by providing a range of solutions and seeking advice where necessary.
• Develops and maintain relationships with internal and external contacts at all levels

Skills & Experience Required

• Good IT skills, including a good knowledge of Excel.
• Previous payroll experience, ideally within a professional services environment.
• Demonstrates up to date knowledge of current payroll legislation and is confident in using payroll software, specifically STAR.
• Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) with clients and staff.
• Organises own work and possess the ability to prioritise own tasks.
• Good numeracy skills.
• Demonstrates attention to detail and a high concern for accuracy.
• Demonstrates an appreciation of the importance of teamwork and responds willingly to all team members reasonable requests.

There is an opportunity here for someone also possessing some supervisory/management experience with payroll experience.

Personal Attributes

• Hands-on, practical, and detail-focused
• Confident people person with a supportive attitude
• Adaptable and solutions-driven

If you're ready to take the next step in your career, we'd love to hear from you. Please apply now or get in touch with Jo Thompson – for more information. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions about the role or the recruitment process.

Xpert Recruitment Ltd is acting as an employment agency on behalf of our client. By applying, you agree to register with us and consent to us holding your personal details on file. Due to the high volume of applications, we will only contact candidates who have been shortlisted for the role. However, we may also reach out regarding other suitable vacancies that match your profile.