Payroll Administrator

Overview

Job Title: Payroll Administrator

Location: Preston, Lancashire
Contract: 18‑month Contract (Inside IR35)
Rates: £20.59 ph Umbrella* | £15.46 ph PAYE

* Umbrella rate quoted is the gross rate paid to the umbrella company (inclusive of all employment costs). Actual take‑home will be lower. Please get in touch if you'd like the breakdown for Umbrella, PAYE or Deemed models.

Due to the nature of the work, this role requires BPSS clearance.
You must successfully complete a basic disclosure check and employment references before starting.

Our client, BAE Systems, operates one of the largest and most complex payroll functions in the UK, supporting thousands of employees across Defence & Security programmes. The Payroll Operations team is expanding to meet increased demand and ongoing compliance requirements.

As a Payroll Administrator, you ll play a key role in delivering accurate, compliant, high‑volume payrolls. Working within the Payroll Operations team and reporting to a Payroll Team Manager, you ll support BAU activity, audit requirements and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Prepare and process high‑volume, complex payrolls in line with SLAs and HMRC legislation
• Log advances, errors and over payments, escalating issues for timely review
• Maintain and regularly review work instructions and processes to ensure audit and governance compliance
• Support continuous improvement by identifying process enhancements
• Review finance reconciliation items for your area of responsibility
• Assist with internal and external payroll reviews/audits
• Provide training support to team members when required

Essential:

• 2+ years  experience working within UK Payroll
• Experience delivering multiple payrolls in a payroll service environment
• Strong understanding of payroll legislation, including awareness of upcoming changes
• PC literate with competency in Word, Excel and Outlook
• Ability to interrogate and analyse data with strong numeracy and attention to detail
• Confident problem‑solver with the ability to use initiative
• Strong communication and collaborative working skills
• GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths and English (A-C)

If you re a detail‑driven payroll professional looking to expand your experience within a large, complex payroll environment, this role offers long‑term stability, variety, and the chance to support one of the UK s most respected Defence organisations.