Senior Payroll Specialist job in Darwen

What’s in it for you?

Joining the Hakim Group means becoming part of a close-knit family of independent optical practices across the UK and Ireland.

A place where empowerment, innovation, and unwavering support create a truly fulfilling experience — a career that feels like joining a secret club of the happiest eye care professionals.

As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist to help shape the future of how we reward and support our colleagues — ensuring every team member across the Group is paid correctly, on time, and with care.

You will also receive:

In return for your expertise and commitment, we’re offering:
• A competitive salary based on experience and impact.
• Access to our employee health plan and financial flexibility fund.
• A rewards portal full of exclusive offers and benefits.
• A vibrant calendar of team events and celebrations that bring our culture to life.

Most importantly, you’ll be part of a supportive, growing team where accuracy, care, and collaboration are at the heart of everything we do.

About the Role

We’re on the lookout for a hands-on, detail-driven leader to oversee and continuously improve our payroll operations. This role is all about precision, leadership, and progress — ensuring our systems, people, and processes work seamlessly together to deliver excellence every single month.

As Senior Payroll Specialist, you’ll take ownership of day-to-day delivery while also driving forward long-term improvements. From implementing smarter workflows and automation to enhancing compliance and accuracy, you’ll help us create a payroll function that’s scalable, efficient, and ready for the future.

If you take pride in getting things right, love leading a capable team, and enjoy making complex processes simple, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

ABOUT OUR PAYROLL FUNCTION

Our payroll operation is significantly more complex than a traditional in-house payroll environment.

The team supports:

• Over 500 employing entities

• Approximately 375 PAYE references

• Simultaneous payroll processing across multiple companies

• UK payroll operations

• Republic of Ireland payroll

• Isle of Man payroll

• Guernsey payroll

• Jersey payroll

• Ongoing acquisitions and onboarding activity

• Multiple pension schemes and salary sacrifice arrangements

• HMRC audits and compliance activity

• Payroll transformation and automation projects through our Payroll 2030 strategy

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys complexity, thrives in a fast-paced environment and can confidently operate across multiple payroll disciplines.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead and oversee the monthly payroll cycle, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness across the Group.
• Manage day-to-day operations, team performance, and workload planning.
• Act as the main escalation point for complex queries, providing clear, supportive solutions.
• Ensure all payroll activity complies with tax, pension, and employment legislation.
• Drive process improvements and automation as part of our Payroll 2030 vision.
• Coach and develop the Payroll & Benefits team, building capability and collaboration.
• Collaborate with People, Finance, and external partners to resolve pay and benefits matters effectively.
• Champion fairness, transparency, and data accuracy in all payroll processes.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

We’re looking for someone who brings both precision and leadership — someone who thrives on getting the details right while inspiring others to do the same.

Essential
• Proven experience managing complex, high-volume, or multi-site payroll operations.
• Strong understanding of pay, tax, pension, and employment law.
• Hands-on experience with iTrent, Sage, and advanced Excel.
• Leadership experience with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to continuous improvement.

Desirable
• Experience leading payroll transformation or system implementation projects.
• Knowledge of automation tools, AI, or payroll reporting technologies.
• Experience within healthcare, retail, or professional services.

What’s Next?

Click apply now and a member of our recruitment team will be in touch

Salary – Max

GBP £0.00

Salary – Min

GBP £0.00