Payroll Associate

Our client a Large firm of Chartered Accountants is looking for an experienced Payroll Associate to manage a portfolio of clients and ensure client payrolls and electronic bank payments are processed accurately and on time. Ensure all client work is carried out accurately, profitably and on a timely basis in accordance with the firm's professional standards and to the satisfaction of clients and engagement partners.
Key Elements of the role:
Prepare approx. 35 medium to high complexity monthly payrolls ranging from 1 to 600 employees from start to finish to a high level of accuracy and meet strict client deadlines
Prepare electronic bank payments on behalf of clients
Always provide a high level of client service
Oversee/cover accurate and timely delivery of payroll output and payments
Keep up to date with payroll technical knowledge
Responsible for maintaining strong, approachable relationships with clients
Assist peers with processing payrolls as and when required
Knowledge of employer costs and journal postings
Have an understanding of Year End Process and deadlines
Main responsibilities:
Markets
Gain an understanding of the full range of the firm's products, services and capabilities and take an active role in cross selling
Take responsibility for new client take on procedures
Prepare letters of engagement for new clients and inter-office agreements with other offices
Clients
Manage their own portfolio of clients and build and maintain good working relationships with all colleagues and clients
Demonstrate sufficient technical knowledge to prepare payrolls from start to finish
Attend calls and meetings with existing clients
Build a rapport with each individual client and develop a clear and detailed understanding of their business and payroll requirements
Awareness of technical risk and put processes in place to protect the firm and its clients
Provide intelligent and creative solutions to clients both reactively and proactively
Analyse technical issues and recommend solutions accordingly
Accurately interpret advice obtained from other specialists and question where required
Keeping clients up to date with changes in Payroll legislation and the effects for them
Liaise with other departments to maximise client satisfaction
People
Works effectively with all members of the team
Act as payroll cover for other members of the payroll team
Actively seeks opportunities to attend training courses to develop technical and personal skills
Demonstrates a clear appetite for self development through the appraisal and personal development plan processes
is open to feedback and training where the review process highlights technical or operational areas for improvement
Operations and results:
Able to organise own workload without letting any deadlines slip.
Prepare monthly payroll planning schedule for their portfolio of clients
Manages work in progress to ensure recoverability targets can be met.
Works with team to consistently meet deadlines and understands the commercial implications of actions relating to productivity, recoverability, fee income and client service.
Accurately records time spent on a timesheet, documents reasons for overruns and agrees additional fees with the client.
Experience:
Essential
* Sound technical payroll knowledge
* At least 3 years experience within a payroll environment
* Good working knowledge of payroll compliance and regulation
* Experience of medium complexity payrolls
* Using Star Payroll Professional payroll software
Desirable
* Previous experience of working in outsourced payroll department and
Payroll technical knowledge:
* Complete understanding of tax codes and allowances, NIC status, rates and exemptions, different types of pension schemes, director's NIC, pensions auto-enrolment, RTI and how to implement all onto payroll software
* Calculation of SSP, SMP, SAP, SPP correctly and the eligibility criteria.
* Calculation of court order deductions and student loans correctly.
* Calculate pro rata payments for joiners, leavers and salary increases
* To be aware of Childcare Voucher Scheme rules and limits and other salary sacrifice schemes and correct implementation
* Auto enrolment
* Current payroll legislation knowledge
Software skills/experience:
* MS Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel, Star Payroll Professional
Other qualities:
* Good organisational skills.
* Good communicator with colleagues and clients.
* Ability to work to tight deadlines and flexible in approach.
* Able to work under pressure in a high turnover environment
* Ability to analyse and solve complex problems.
* Positive
* Reliable and flexible i.e. prepared to stay until the job is done
* Team player
* Resilient
Excellent Benefits offered