Payroll Specialist

Hybrid – initial onsite presence required for bedding-in

Immediately available, experienced payroll professional looking for your next role?

Confident payroll ownership. No drama. Make a real difference where it matters

Syme Drummond is delighted to be supporting a values‑led Scottish charity to appoint an experienced Payroll Specialist on a 6‑month fixed‑term contract.

This is a hands‑on, standalone role where you will take ownership of the monthly payroll end‑to‑end, with practical support from an experienced Finance team as you get up to speed.

• Running a single monthly payroll for around 1,500 substantive employees, paid on the 28th of each month.
• Taking ownership of starters, leavers and contract changes in collaboration with HR and service administrators.
• Importing payroll data via Excel and validating inputs thoroughly.
• Completing manual checks, reconciliations and audit controls to ensure accuracy.
• Managing HMRC submissions including RTI, P45s, P60s and year‑end processes.
• Administering auto‑enrolment pensions and processing union and benefit‑related deductions.
• Manually calculating occupational maternity and paternity pay where system limitations apply.
• Responding to payroll queries professionally and reassuringly, knowing when to escalte.
• Working closely with Finance to reconcile payroll control accounts and explain month‑to‑month variances.

• A genuinely important role underpinning frontline services across Scotland.
• Standalone payroll ownership with strong, practical Finance support.
• A stable, delivery‑focused environment rather than a transformation agenda.
• Opportunity to embed quickly, build trust and keep payroll running smoothly.
• Initial on‑site presence to support learning and confidence, with flexibility once established.
• 6‑month FTC with potential for extension.

• Demonstrable experience delivering end‑to‑end payroll in a medium to large organisation.
• Strong working knowledge of UK payroll legislation including PAYE, NIC, statutory payments, RTI and auto‑enrolment.
• Confidence working with payroll systems and Excel in a largely manual environment.
• A methodical approach to checking, validating and reconciling payroll data.
• The ability to spot discrepancies, understand why variances occur and explain them clearly.
• A calm, professional communication style when dealing with payroll queries.
• Confidence taking ownership of payroll delivery, while knowing when to ask for support.
• Experience with Advanced payroll systems would be advantageous, but is not essential.

• This role will suit someone who takes real pride in getting payroll right. You will be naturally detail‑focused, comfortable working with a high degree of accuracy and confident validating and reconciling data in a largely manual environment.
• You will be dependable and deadline‑driven, happy to roll up your sleeves and work through the detail while staying calm and organised. Payroll is rarely identical month to month, and you will understand why variances occur and be comfortable explaining them.
• Just as important is how you work with people. You will be approachable, professional and straightforward, able to work collaboratively with Finance, HR and service administrators, and confident saying no where needed without rubbing people up the wrong way.
• Our customer values people who are conscientious, quietly confident in their expertise and committed to doing the right thing. Someone who understands the real‑world impact of payroll accuracy on colleagues across the organisation will do particularly well in this role.

Apply now or drop me a note for a confidential chat and I’ll share the next steps and timelines. You can reach me at  for more info.