HR & Payroll Lead

HR & Payroll Lead 
12 Month FTC
Nottingham City - Hybrid (3 days at home, 2 days in the office)
Full Time
Up to £45,000 DOE

We are recruiting for an experienced HR & Payroll Specialist to join a professional services organisation on a 12-month maternity cover contract. This is a varied role offering a great mix of HR and payroll responsibilities, with an approximate split of 60% HR and 40% payroll. You'll support employees across multiple locations, with involvement in benefits, payroll, recruitment, onboarding, HR systems, the full employee lifecycle and wider HR projects.

You'll be joining a genuinely lovely and supportive HR team, working closely together to ensure the smooth running of day-to-day HR operations. It's a great opportunity for someone who enjoys variety and wants a role where they can get involved across all areas of HR while still utilising their payroll expertise.

Key Responsibilities
- Lead on payroll processes, ensuring accurate and timely submissions.
- Manage employee benefits, pensions and associated reporting.
- Act as a key point of contact for HR systems.
- Support recruitment, including adverts, shortlisting, interviews and agency management.
- Support onboarding, probation, absence management and employee exits.
- Conduct exit interviews and identify/report on trends.
- Maintain accurate HR records and contractual documentation.
- Support right-to-work checks, background checks and other compliance requirements.
- Assist with annual and mid-year performance review processes.
- Support international secondments and employee relocations.
- Work with the wider HR team on projects and continuous improvement of HR processes.

What We're Looking For
- Previous HR generalist experience with strong knowledge of payroll, pensions and employee benefits.
- Experience of UK payroll, with overseas payroll exposure highly beneficial.
- CIPD Level 3, 5 or 7 qualified/working towards, or equivalent experience
- Good understanding of HR administration and recruitment processes.
- Excellent organisation and attention to detail.
- Confident and professional communication skills.
- Ability to manage priorities and work effectively within a busy HR function.
- Strong Microsoft Office skills.

Benefits
- Up to £45,000 DOE
- Hybrid working - 3 days at home, 2 days in the office
- Birthday leave
- Salary sacrifice pension scheme
- Healthcare benefits
- One paid volunteering day per year
- Employee discounts
- Company away days
- Supportive and collaborative working environment

Please note: The successful candidate will initially be expected to spend more time in the office during their training and onboarding period.