Payroll Consultant - Compensation & Benefits – 6 month FTC - £100,000 plus benefits
Central London, Hybrid – 3 days per week in the office
Please note – candidates need to be available to start within 2 weeks.
Role Purpose
The Compensation & Benefits Partner is responsible for the design, delivery, and governance of compensation and benefits programmes, with a particular focus on managing third‑party payroll and benefits providers and ensuring accurate, timely integration between benefits and payroll data and systems.
Key Responsibilities
Global Payroll and Benefit Process and Model
- Review of current Global model, payroll providers and internal processes.
- Establish a Group approach and payroll model that can be easily maintained and reduce exposure to risks.
- Manage third party payroll providers across the Group accurately, on time and within cost parameters whilst ensuring statutory and regulatory requirements are met.
Payroll & Benefits Vendor Management
- Relationship owner for third‑party payroll and benefits providers, ensuring service delivery aligns with contractual obligations, agreed SLAs with regular check ins.
- Manage day‑to‑day operational performance of providers, including issue resolution, escalation management, and continuous improvement.
- Lead vendor governance activities, including service reviews, audits, and performance reporting.
- Support selection, onboarding, and transition of payroll and benefits providers when needed.
- Documentation of internal process to always enable business continuity.
- Verification of process documentation held by third parties, so it aligns with internal process change and enables provision of a stable, error free service.
Payroll and Benefits Integration & Data Management
- Own the end‑to‑end connection between benefits administration and payroll to ensure accurate benefit deductions, contributions, and taxation.
- Oversee data flows between HR, benefits, and payroll systems, ensuring timely, complete, and validated data transfers.
- Partner with providers and internal stakeholders to resolve data discrepancies and prevent future payroll errors.
- Define and maintain governance frameworks to ensure data accuracy, reconciliation, and audit readiness.
Compensation & Benefits Operations
- Manage and continually improve processes that deliver benefits programmes such as signups, leavers, changes and value increases eg: on risk benefits.
- Continually monitor benefit policies and eligibility rules to ensure they are correctly implemented and maintained.
- Support the annual compensation cycle, including salary reviews, bonus payments and renewals.
Reporting, Controls & Compliance
- Develop and maintain rigorous checks for payroll and benefit input and payroll reporting for internal, financial, and legislative purposes.
- Produce and validate management information, reconciliations, and variance analysis across payroll and benefits data.
- Ensure compliance with UK payroll, tax, and benefits legislation (eg: pension auto‑enrolment, PAYE, benefits in-kind, short-term visitors).
- Support internal and external audits by providing documentation, controls evidence, and action planning for any issues identified.
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Significant experience in compensation and benefits with hands‑on exposure to managing changes which affect payroll.
- Proven experience managing third‑party payroll and benefits providers, providing challenge and driving efficiencies.
- Strong understanding of benefit interaction with payroll, tax, and reporting requirements.
- High attention to detail with a strong control and data‑accuracy mindset.
- Excellent stakeholder management and vendor‑management skills.
- Experience in multi‑country or complex organisational environments.
Desirable
- Experience working with HRIS, payroll, and benefits platforms and managing system integrations.
- Knowledge of UK statutory payroll and benefits frameworks.
- Experience supporting system implementations or provider transitions.
- Background in reporting, reconciliations, or financial controls.
Personal Attributes
- Analytical, structured, and solutions‑focused.
- Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels.
- Strong communicator, able to explain technical concepts clearly.
- Proactive and resilient in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment.