Job Title:  Specialist

Reference No: 3170

Office Type:  

Elevate Your Career with Zalaris

Zalaris is a rapidly expanding global leader in Tech HR and payroll solutions.

We’re big enough for you to grow and be a part of an international environment but small enough for you to be visible and truly make a difference.

We foster open communication and short decision-making paths that encourage creative and innovative thinking.

Zalaris’ culture is rooted in values inspired by Nordic working ethos: everyone matters, aiming high and team spirit. We’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone brings their own uniqueness. Zalaris’ employees come from different backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life, and we are proud of it.

Role Overview

The Payroll Specialist will be responsible for accurate and timely processing of payroll for employees across the UK and Ireland. The role requires strong understanding of UK & Ireland payroll regulations, statutory calculations, and monthly payroll cycles. The specialist will support payroll operations, ensure compliance, manage queries, and collaborate with HR, Finance, and external payroll partners.

Key Responsibilities

1. Payroll Processing

• Process monthly payroll inputs such as new hires, terminations, salary changes, deductions, overtime, and benefits.
• Perform gross-to-net calculations and validate payroll results.
• Manage off-cycle adjustments, retro payments, and corrections.
• Ensure accuracy of time and attendance data before payroll processing.

2. Statutory Compliance

• Apply UK & Ireland payroll legislation and statutory rules including PAYE, NIC, Pension Auto-Enrolment, Student Loans, Court Orders, and others.
• Handle statutory leaves and payments: SSP, SMP, SPP, ShPP, SAP.
• Ensure timely RTI submissions (FPS/EPS) for UK and ROS returns for Ireland.

3. Payroll Controls & Reconciliations

• Prepare payroll reports, variance analysis, and reconciliation between HR system, payroll, and finance.
• Support preparation of GL files and payroll accounting.
• Maintain documentation for compliance, audits, and process controls.

4. Employee & Stakeholder Support

• Address employee payroll queries with accuracy and timely resolution.
• Coordinate with HRBPs, Talent, Rewards, Finance, and other support teams.
• Work closely with payroll vendors and ensure SLAs are met.

5. Reporting & Documentation

• Generate standard and ad-hoc payroll reports.
• Maintain payroll SOPs, process documentation, and statutory checklists.
• Assist with audits, compliance reviews, and year-end processes (P60, P11D, etc.).

6. System & Process Support

• Work with payroll systems such as SAP, ADP, SD Worx, or Workday.
• Validate data integrations between HRIS and payroll systems.
• Participate in testing for system enhancements, payroll changes, and process improvements.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical Skills

• 5–8 years of hands-on UK & Ireland payroll processing experience.
• Strong knowledge of UK & Ireland statutory rules and payroll calculations.
• Experience with payroll platforms (SAP, ADP, Workday, SD Worx, etc.).
• Good understanding of RTI, tax rules, pension processing, and statutory payments.
• Proficiency in MS Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, reconciliations).

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail with ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Team player with good collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• CIPP certification (desirable but not mandatory).
• Experience in payroll transition, migration, or process improvement projects.
• Exposure to audit and compliance environments

What we Offer

• Opportunity to work across multi-country UK & Ireland payroll operations.
• Exposure to global HR systems and payroll tools.
• Skill enhancement in statutory compliance and payroll analytics.

Ready to become part of our team? Join us at Zalaris and be a part of a vibrant, collaborative community of Tech HR and payroll experts dedicated to grow and innovate. #team Zalaris