Payroll & Benefits Administrator

Penningtons Manches Cooper are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Payroll & Benefits Administrator with a can-do attitude, great attention to detail and a natural inclination for continual process improvement.  The role sits in the Reward & Benefits Team within the wider HR team of a top 50 UK law firm.

The role is primarily responsible for providing full administration support for the Firm’s payroll and benefits offering and management of the reward and benefits system (Darwin), acting as the super user.  

You will support key annual processes such as the employee salary and bonus review, benefits renewal and Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting, alongside managing the monthly benefits and pension enrolment, reconciliation and reporting. 

You will act as an Employee Champion, driving efficiency and engagement while reflecting the Firm’s culture and values.

The role will operate on a firmwide team basis, and occasional travel between UK offices may be required.

The firm operates a hybrid agile working policy allowing employees to work from home (or another UK location) for an average of 50% of their time. Individuals can also apply for other flexible working options either at the time of recruitment or during the course of their employment.

The responsibilities listed below are intended to be a broad but not exhaustive list.

• Taking full ownership for the administration of the monthly UK payroll cycle, working closely with the Payroll & Benefits Specialist to prepare, process, submit and reconcile the data across all benefit, payroll, pension and financial elements.
• Operate as the Reward & Benefit Information Systems super user, with responsibility for the data accuracy, preparation of reports and document management.
• Support the Head of HR and Payroll & Benefits Specialist in all cyclical activities, including employee salary and bonus review, Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap report and benefit renewal process, leading on the data preparation and reporting requirements.
• Supporting the Payroll & Benefits Specialist with the payroll and benefits administration for the International offices.
• Manage the Payroll & Benefit mailbox, proactively responding to all related queries or escalating to the Head of HR or Payroll & Benefits Specialist as appropriate.
• Working with the wider HR Team and third-party providers to investigate queries through to resolution, providing assistance and advice to employees as appropriate.
• Manage the Reward & Benefit Team’s purchase order requirements, including reviewing, reconciliation and processing of all monthly/annual invoices, providing supporting data for the Finance Team as appropriate, and ensuring aligned to the team budget.
• Support with keeping Reward & Benefit documentation and policies up-to-date.
• Proactive involvement with the Firm’s Wellbeing Strategy (PennWell), ad-hoc and team projects and wider HR Team support as required.

Personal Skills

• Experience of working within a payroll and/or benefits administration role with competent skills in HRIS is required.
• Advanced IT skills, specifically MS Excel, with the ability to analyse and manipulate data for presentation is essential.
• Understand the importance of accuracy in delivering processes to the highest of standards.
• Always looking for opportunities in continuous improvement.
• A clear ability to manage and prioritise workload, sometimes delivering under pressure within tight deadlines, whilst maintaining high attention to detail at all times.
• Professional approach with excellent communication skills.
• A strong team orientation, with the ability to work independently.
• Complete confidentiality at all times.

At our firm, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a priority and at the heart of everything we do. We actively want to attract a diverse workforce and welcome applications from everyone, from all backgrounds. We are committed to promoting an inclusive culture where everyone can be their full selves and experience being seen and heard. You can find out more about our firm’s commitment, initiatives and Pennclusion committees here.

We ensure that there are equal opportunities and treatment for all job applicants and employees, at all stages of the recruitment process and employment, regardless of age, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and social background. We aim to provide adjustments for people who have a disability, long-term health condition (including mental health) or neurodiversity. If you would like to request an adjustment, please contact sam.austin@penningtonslaw.com