Payroll Specialist

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions. Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions. Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent. We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role. Payroll Specialist The Payroll Specialist plays a key role in delivering accurate and timely payroll services, ensuring colleagues are paid correctly and in line with processes, controls and regulatory requirements. The role combines payroll administration expertise with a strong focus on governance, continuous improvement, payroll accounting and service excellence. Working collaboratively across HR Operations and the wider business, the Payroll Specialist provides specialist payroll knowledge, supports operational and project activity, and contributes to the effective delivery of payroll services for UK employees. Key Responsibilities Provide payroll-related guidance to the business and identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and service delivery. Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing for UK payrolls, including completion of all required control checking activities and statutory obligations Investigate and resolve payroll-related queries and issues in a professional and timely manner. Lead and/or participate in business-as-usual activities and project initiatives within HR Operations, supporting successful delivery of operational and change objectives. Act as a subject matter expert for payroll processes and activities, providing guidance on standard and complex matters and supporting colleagues where appropriate. Assess, monitor and manage payroll-related risks, ensuring appropriate controls are maintained and payroll accounting activities are completed where applicable. Review payroll processes and implement continuous improvements to enhance operational effectiveness, service quality and control standards. Deliver payroll accounting activities, including payroll reconciliations, month end reporting and investigation of payroll-related variances Key Knowledge, Skills and Experience Excellent understanding of UK payroll legislation, including PAYE, National Insurance, RTI, statutory payments, pensions and year-end payroll requirements Experience supporting payroll accounting processes Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies High level of accuracy and attention to detail when managing payroll information Effective communication and stakeholder management skills. Ability to prioritise workload and deliver to challenging deadlines. Experience supporting audit, risk and control activities. Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence. Ability to build effective working relationships across teams and functions. Strong Excel and data analysis skill required Qualifications CIPP qualification or working towards a recognized payroll qualification is desirable What we offer: We’re dedicated to supporting your wellbeing and helping you thrive, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life , and financially plan for the future. Our UK benefits include : A valuable pension scheme of up to 18% (13% made up of employer contributions and 5% employee contributions). Access to our Share Save and Share Incentive Plan, alongside financial wellbeing and support services to help give you real confidence to put your money to work. Enjoy 38 days annual leave (including bank holidays), with the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days. Our Time Off When You Need It policy gives you the flexibility - to balance work and personal commitments. Our market-leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - because supporting families is an important part of our inclusive culture. Health & Protection cover includes Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with additional family options - for peace of mind. To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G At M&G we strive to have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, underpinned by our policies and employee-led networks that offer networking, support and development opportunities for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – across gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and more – including neurodivergent individuals, career returners and those with military service experience. M&G is proud to be Level 3: Disability Confident Leader under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme, and we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you would like to participate in the initiative, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application. We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. All candidates have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments when applying. If you need any additional support at any stage, please contact us at: