Our purpose
Inspiring and empowering our people to create a positive difference for themselves, our clients and the planet.
Sustainable Energy First is an energy and sustainability consultancy, founded to solve energy management problems in very large, complex commercial estates.
This remains the core of our business driven by a commitment to sustainability and the goal of reducing our clients’ carbon footprint.
The Role in a Nutshell ️
Join SE First as a Payroll Specialist and take ownership of delivering seamless, end-to-end payroll across a dynamic and growing organisation. This role is at the heart of ensuring accuracy, compliance, and data integrity, while introducing strong controls that reduce risk and elevate payroll operations. With increasing scale and complexity, you’ll play a key role in shaping a consistent, auditable process and delivering an outstanding experience for every employee.
Requirements
Payroll Delivery
Take full ownership of end-to-end payroll processing across multiple payroll cycles
Ensure all payroll inputs are accurate, approved, and delivered on time
Manage complex calculations including salary changes, bonuses, commissions, statutory payments, and deductions
Oversee all employee lifecycle changes, including starters, leavers, and amendments
Lead year-end processes, ensuring accurate delivery of P60s, P11Ds, and benefit reporting
Compliance & Governance
Champion compliance with UK payroll legislation, including PAYE, NIC, and statutory requirements (SSP, SMP, SPP, etc.)
Own all HMRC reporting (RTI submissions, FPS/EPS), ensuring accuracy and timeliness
Maintain audit-ready processes with clear documentation and strong controls
Stay ahead of legislative changes, embedding best practice across payroll operations
Support internal and external audits with confidence and precision
Data, Systems & Insight
Maintain high-quality payroll data across HRIS (HiBob) and payroll systems
Reconcile payroll with People and Finance data, ensuring consistency and accuracy
Proactively identify and resolve discrepancies
Deliver reliable payroll data to support finance reporting and people insights
Quality & Risk Management
Perform rigorous end-to-end payroll checks before final sign-off
Embed and maintain strong controls to drive accuracy and minimise risk
Quickly investigate and resolve payroll queries and issues
Ensure consistent oversight across the payroll cycle to protect business operations
Stakeholder Collaboration
Act as the go-to expert for payroll queries, providing clear and timely guidance
Build strong relationships with employees, managers, and key stakeholders
Manage external payroll providers, ensuring high service standards and accuracy
Collaborate closely with People Operations and Finance teams
Benefits & Pensions
Manage pension contributions and ensure compliance with auto-enrolment requirements
Support payroll-related benefits administration, including salary sacrifice schemes
Reconcile deductions, manage third-party payments, and ensure accurate reporting
Continuous Improvement
Identify opportunities to enhance payroll efficiency, accuracy, and experience
Support system improvements and HRIS/payroll integration initiatives
Contribute to wider People Operations improvement projects
Play an active role in key initiatives such as system implementations, TUPE transfers, and policy changes
Benefits
Salary: £35,000
Holidays: 25 days + bank holidays + your birthday off, increasing to 30 days on length of service
Hybrid working (at least 2 days per week working from our Fulwood, Preston office)
- Flexible working - including the ability to bank up to to 5 extra days off per year
- Gym contribution
Long service awards
Private Medical Insurance
Enhanced paternity/non-pregnant colleague and maternity/pregnant colleague leave
Simply Health scheme
EV Scheme
Inclusion and Belonging
We believe that diversity is more than a commitment, it’s at the heart of who we are. We aim to create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work.
We celebrate different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences because we know they make us stronger, bolder and more imaginative, which link to our core values. By fostering a culture of belonging, we aim to provide a workplace where every voice is heard, and every individual can thrive.
Our culture has been set up to bring the best out of our people. If we sound like the kind of business where you’re ready to take the next step, then we look forward to hearing from you!
