Payroll & Benefits Manager

Payroll & Benefits Manager

The people function within The Works is going through an exciting transition phase and we have an amazing opportunity for a Payroll & Benefits Manager reporting into the People Director.  We have an ambitious people agenda to implement in order to support our business plans and we are looking for a talented leader to join in and contribute to our evolving team and business.

About The Role

Our people are at the heart of our amazing company and our vision is to drive excellent customer service across all Payroll & Benefits processes & services, through flawless execution of transactional processes & brilliant customer interactions. 

Working closely with the People Director, wider People Team and business stakeholders, you will ensure that we have the necessary mechanisms in place to deliver a timely and accurate transactional Payroll & benefits service across the company. Managing the Payroll team, you will create an environment where the team is set up for success and each interaction is approached with the objective of delivering outstanding customer service and colleague experience. Please note that this is a highly transactional, customer focussed, process/procedure and system focussed role looking at processes of today but also helping implementing new/improved systems and efficiencies in the future.   

In order to be successful you will:

• Be accountable for all (high volume) payroll & benefits transactional services for 4000+ colleagues (530+ stores, Store Support Centre and Warehouse)
• Full Payroll Management / Audit / HMRC / Year End / Compliance responsibilities for all payrolls (3 x monthly and 1 x seasonal 4 weekly) in UK, ROI and IOM (£50m)
• Enhance, document and embed existing processes & procedures to ensure that the services provided are compliant, user friendly, efficient and robust
• Responsible for all colleague benefits (taxable and non) including fleet, pension; continuously reviewing, negotiating, renewing and enhancing our offering with suppliers as well as ensuring all queries are resolved and benefits are communicated effectively.
• Develop effective use of all HR systems/technology – Midland HR iTrent is our current payroll/HR system parterning with them on upgrade roadmaps
• Review your teams activities and ways of working with a lens of continuous improvement and innovation
• Responsibility for all Share scheme activity (SAYE, LTIPs) and associated tax returns, PLC required documentation and reporting.
• Manage the company Annual Pay Review process and bonus schemes.
• Be the primary contact for peers and stakeholders requiring Payroll support and insight
• Own all Payroll process management to ensure best practice and legally compliant approaches are consistently applied and understood
• Identify and drive forward projects and training that improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of payroll e.g. moving to 4-weekly payrolls or opportunities for process automation and introduction of new or upgraded technologies
• Establish and implement routines for regular tracking, monitoring and reporting of workloads and quality of outputs to continuously improve performance and service
• Ensure delivery of effective and accurate management information through the provision and analysis of core data and trends that inform key management decisions around payroll performance and appropriate interventions (eg. Overtime analysis)
• Lead and develop the team on a daily basis in delivering excellent service and ensuring team succession and ongoing development is in place

About You

You should be excited by retail and the fast paced ever changing challenges it brings!  You should have experience of iTrent and of managing a Payroll/ central/shared services structure, bursting with ideas and a passion for continuous improvement. Spreadsheets make The Works go round! So you must be advanced with excel.  You will have strong organisational skills with high attention to detail, procedurally driven with strong project management and communication skills. You must also be comfortable dealing with high volume, highly sensitive and confidential matters with a commitment to exceptional customer and colleague support. With a commercial focus and the ability to influence, you will be a strong people leader and a champion of driving new operationally efficient methods and practices within a fast-paced, evolving workplace.

What we will give to you…!

• 25% discount off our products in store!
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays).
• Holiday Purchase Scheme to increase your annual leave entitlement.
• Company pension contribution.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Life Assurance.
• Healthcare Cash Plan.
• Free Car Parking.
• Charity Giving - Pennies from Heaven and Give as you Earn.

Finally, the bit "About The Works"

We are people who do!

Here at The Works, we are building a working environment that’s fun, friendly, and supportive - all at the same time. It’s somewhere that’s designed for people who love getting busy, whether that’s helping customers, meeting new challenges, or building a rewarding career.

It’s a place for people who know how to roll their sleeves up, get creative, and put their passion and imagination to work…People who do!

We are the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over  500 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality. You will find our stores in a huge and diverse range of locations; on high streets, in shopping centres, on retail parks, and as concessions (usually in garden centres). We are also one of the few value retailers with a full featured online store that helps our customers to shop how they want, when they want, 7 days a week.

Oh....and we are super proud  to be a Best Companies, Best Big Company to work for in the UK in 2021

It all means that we have built the kind of working environment that is the perfect place for people who love our products to build a career. It is somewhere you can put your proud and passionate, inclusive and accessible, confident and honest, fun and creative, and nimble and driven approach to work.

And if you can roll up your sleeves, get on with any job, and meet any challenge, it’s also somewhere you can thrive.

Payroll & Benefits Manager

The people function within The Works is going through an exciting transition phase and we have an amazing opportunity for a Payroll & Benefits Manager reporting into the People Director.  We have an ambitious people agenda to implement in order to support our business plans and we are looking for a talented leader to join in and contribute to our evolving team and business.

About The Role

Our people are at the heart of our amazing company and our vision is to drive excellent customer service across all Payroll & Benefits processes & services, through flawless execution of transactional processes & brilliant customer interactions. 

Working closely with the People Director, wider People Team and business stakeholders, you will ensure that we have the necessary mechanisms in place to deliver a timely and accurate transactional Payroll & benefits service across the company. Managing the Payroll team, you will create an environment where the team is set up for success and each interaction is approached with the objective of delivering outstanding customer service and colleague experience. Please note that this is a highly transactional, customer focussed, process/procedure and system focussed role looking at processes of today but also helping implementing new/improved systems and efficiencies in the future.   

In order to be successful you will:

• Be accountable for all (high volume) payroll & benefits transactional services for 4000+ colleagues (530+ stores, Store Support Centre and Warehouse)
• Full Payroll Management / Audit / HMRC / Year End / Compliance responsibilities for all payrolls (3 x monthly and 1 x seasonal 4 weekly) in UK, ROI and IOM (£50m)
• Enhance, document and embed existing processes & procedures to ensure that the services provided are compliant, user friendly, efficient and robust
• Responsible for all colleague benefits (taxable and non) including fleet, pension; continuously reviewing, negotiating, renewing and enhancing our offering with suppliers as well as ensuring all queries are resolved and benefits are communicated effectively.
• Develop effective use of all HR systems/technology – Midland HR iTrent is our current payroll/HR system parterning with them on upgrade roadmaps
• Review your teams activities and ways of working with a lens of continuous improvement and innovation
• Responsibility for all Share scheme activity (SAYE, LTIPs) and associated tax returns, PLC required documentation and reporting.
• Manage the company Annual Pay Review process and bonus schemes.
• Be the primary contact for peers and stakeholders requiring Payroll support and insight
• Own all Payroll process management to ensure best practice and legally compliant approaches are consistently applied and understood
• Identify and drive forward projects and training that improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of payroll e.g. moving to 4-weekly payrolls or opportunities for process automation and introduction of new or upgraded technologies
• Establish and implement routines for regular tracking, monitoring and reporting of workloads and quality of outputs to continuously improve performance and service
• Ensure delivery of effective and accurate management information through the provision and analysis of core data and trends that inform key management decisions around payroll performance and appropriate interventions (eg. Overtime analysis)
• Lead and develop the team on a daily basis in delivering excellent service and ensuring team succession and ongoing development is in place

About You

You should be excited by retail and the fast paced ever changing challenges it brings!  You should have experience of iTrent and of managing a Payroll/ central/shared services structure, bursting with ideas and a passion for continuous improvement. Spreadsheets make The Works go round! So you must be advanced with excel.  You will have strong organisational skills with high attention to detail, procedurally driven with strong project management and communication skills. You must also be comfortable dealing with high volume, highly sensitive and confidential matters with a commitment to exceptional customer and colleague support. With a commercial focus and the ability to influence, you will be a strong people leader and a champion of driving new operationally efficient methods and practices within a fast-paced, evolving workplace.

What we will give to you…!

• 25% discount off our products in store!
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays).
• Holiday Purchase Scheme to increase your annual leave entitlement.
• Company pension contribution.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Life Assurance.
• Healthcare Cash Plan.
• Free Car Parking.
• Charity Giving - Pennies from Heaven and Give as you Earn.

Finally, the bit "About The Works"

We are people who do!

Here at The Works, we are building a working environment that’s fun, friendly, and supportive - all at the same time. It’s somewhere that’s designed for people who love getting busy, whether that’s helping customers, meeting new challenges, or building a rewarding career.

It’s a place for people who know how to roll their sleeves up, get creative, and put their passion and imagination to work…People who do!

We are the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over  500 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality. You will find our stores in a huge and diverse range of locations; on high streets, in shopping centres, on retail parks, and as concessions (usually in garden centres). We are also one of the few value retailers with a full featured online store that helps our customers to shop how they want, when they want, 7 days a week.

Oh....and we are super proud  to be a Best Companies, Best Big Company to work for in the UK in 2021

It all means that we have built the kind of working environment that is the perfect place for people who love our products to build a career. It is somewhere you can put your proud and passionate, inclusive and accessible, confident and honest, fun and creative, and nimble and driven approach to work.

And if you can roll up your sleeves, get on with any job, and meet any challenge, it’s also somewhere you can thrive.