Payroll Administrator

About the Role

Join our dynamic team at LNG Grain as a Payroll Administrator
. In this pivotal role, you will deliver timely, accurate, and compliant payroll services for approximately 250 employees in a high‑integrity operational environment for a Private Equity owned ~GBP
300m revenue Grain Isle facility and JV group companies (comprising Top Co, Mid Co, Bid Co, Grain LNG and Thames Interchange Ltd) and to ensure they are carried out efficiently, effectively and in line with best practice.

The role manages complex shift patterns (e.g., rotating shifts, standby, call‑out, overtime, TOIL), attendance‑related allowances, and benefits through a Tier 2 ERP solution. It supports Finance and HR in monthly close, statutory reporting, audit readiness, and continuous improvement – ensuring robust controls and excellent employee service.

This role is based from our world‑class facility in the Isle of Grain, Kent, and you can enjoy our hybrid working from office and home with the expectation of working on site 3 days a week. Please note, due to the location of the site you must have a full UK driving licence and have your own car to travel to site.

• Execute monthly payroll cycles, including starters/leavers, contractual changes, variable pay, and allowance calculations (shift, overtime, standby, call‑out, availability, attendance, TOIL, on‑call, weekend/night premiums)
• Calculate statutory payments and recoveries: SSP, SMP, SAP, SPP, ShPP, parental bereavement pay, redundancy pay, holiday pay (including average pay rules for variable pay), and student loans.
• Process deductions: PAYE/NI, pension contributions (auto‑enrolment), salary sacrifice schemes (e.g., EV, Cycle to Work), court orders/AOE, union dues, benefits, and expense‑related taxable items.
• Ensure national minimum wage compliance considering deductions/benefits interactions.
• Liaise with payroll provider to produce payslips and validate payroll outputs; perform pre‑/post‑payroll checks and approvals.
• Maintain payroll configuration in the Tier 2 ERP (pay codes, allowance rules, costing, GL mapping, tax/pension parameters).
• Collaborate with IT/ERP support for fixes, enhancements, testing (UAT), upgrades, and change control.
• Maintain master data quality and control logs; ensure audit trail integrity.
• Act as the first‑line contact for payroll queries; provide clear, empathetic explanations on pay, deductions, and allowances.
• Partner with HR on contracts, leave, benefits, and employee lifecycle changes; partner with Finance on reconciliations, close, and audit.
• Build strong relationships with line managers and shift schedulers to ensure accurate T&A and allowance capture.
• Prepare payroll journals, accruals (overtime/holiday pay, bonuses), and balance sheet reconciliations (PAYE/NI creditor, pensions, benefits, AOE, net pay control).
• Reconcile gross‑to‑net, investigate discrepancies, and document variance analysis.
• Support cash forecasting for payroll, taxes, and benefits; coordinate with Treasury on payment cycles and BACS/secure payments.
• Provide cost centre/project/site payroll reporting; support management accounts and budget/forecast processes.

• Proven experience in end‑to‑end payroll administration within a complex operational environment.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation and statutory compliance: HMRC RTI, PAYE/NI, pensions, statutory pay/leave, BiK’s.
• Experience of implementing and working with Tier 2 ERP systems (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics or similar) and integrated Time & Attendance systems (e.g., Kronos/URG, Mitrefinch or similar).
• Advanced Excel skills for data analysis and reporting.
• Excellent attention to detail, confidentiality and accuracy.
• Strong stakeholder communication and problem‑solving skills.
• Self‑starting with good organisational skills.
• Ability to drive solutions to complex operational and financial issues.
• Effective communicator.

A competitive salary between £42,781 - £50,736 per annum – dependent on capability.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution…