Payroll Administrator

Job Description

We are looking for a detail driven and customer focused Payroll & Benefits Administrator to join our HR team supporting Seren Laboratory Services (SLS) and Lextox, as well as providing wider benefits support across the UK Forensic Business Line.

This is a newly created role, offering an exciting opportunity for someone to truly make it their own, shaping processes and driving improvements to enhance benefits delivery across the business. You will play a key role in ensuring accurate, compliant and timely payroll and benefits administration, while acting as a trusted point of contact for employees, managers, and external providers.

• Prepare documentation and complete system updates in an accurate and timely manner for two monthly payrolls and one weekly payroll, for submission to the third‑party payroll provider, including:
  • New starters (HMRC New Starter Checklists and/or P45s)
  • Changes to salary and allowances
  • Leavers (including holiday pay, benefit recoveries, PILON, redundancy payments)
  • Zero‑hours and variable pay
  • Bonus and incentive payments (annual and ad hoc)
  • Overtime and on‑call payments
  • Unpaid leave and sickness
  • Parental leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared Parental, Ordinary Parental Leave)
  • Statutory notifications and statutory payments

• Managing the monthly payroll checking process and obtaining approval from senior leadership/finance prior to finalisation.
• Responding to and resolving payroll queries, escalating to the third‑party provider where required.
• Supporting HMRC and PwC audits by providing required payroll data and documentation.

• Manage payroll‑related aspects of the employee lifecycle, including:
  • Payroll setup and benefits enrolment for new starters
  • Processing leavers (final pay, benefits cessation, recovery of outstanding balances)
  • Managing contractual changes affecting pay and benefits
  • Maintaining accurate employee records across HR and payroll systems
  • Managing payroll and benefits queries through shared HR inboxes
  • Recording and filing sickness notifications and medical certificates, with escalation of SSP/half pay triggers or absence concerns where appropriate.

• Administer and promote employee benefit schemes across the UK Forensic Business Line, including:
  • Benefits platforms (e.g. Reward Gateway, Perkbox, Benenden)
  • Pension administration, including auto‑enrolment compliance
  • Salary sacrifice schemes and associated payroll deductions
  • Maintaining accurate records and ensuring timely processing of changes
  • Acting as first point of contact for employee benefits queries
  • Supporting annual renewals and enrolment cycles
  • Liaising with external providers to resolve issues and maintain service standards
  • Administering P11D and PSA data collection

• Processing third‑party invoices
• Providing ad hoc HR administrative support to the wider HR team

• Proven experience in payroll administration (in‑house or outsourced)
• Strong working knowledge of UK payroll legislation (PAYE, NI, statutory payments)
• Experience administering employee benefits and pension schemes
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Experience using HR, payroll and benefits systems

• Payroll or HR qualification (e.g. CIPP, CIPD)
• Experience supporting multiple business units or legal entities
• Experience using benefits platforms such as Reward Gateway or Perkbox

• A proactive, positive ‘can do’ attitude with a demonstrable commitment to delivering a quality service.
• Remains calm under pressure and can appropriately prioritise tasks in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to work flexibly by demonstrating excellent organisational skills and strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrate initiative to identify and suggest areas for improvement relating to working practices, policies and process
• Excellent interpersonal skills with both internal and external customers.
• Operates in a sensitive and confidential way and within given time frames.
• Demonstrates the Eurofins Forensic Services company values;
  Customer Focus, Quality, Competence & Team Spirit and Integrity.