Payroll Manager

£80,000 to £90,000

12 Month Fixed Term Contract

London | Hybrid Working

An established, high profile professional services business is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead its UK payroll function on a 12 month fixed term contract.

This is a senior position with responsibility for overseeing a complex, high volume payroll operation, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time, while maintaining robust controls, compliance and operational efficiency.

Reporting to the Group Financial Controller, you will take full ownership of the end to end UK monthly payroll, leading a team of five payroll specialists and working closely with senior stakeholders across Finance, HR, Reward and IT.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing the end to end UK monthly payroll for over 3,000 employees across seven pay groups, ensuring accurate and timely processing.
• Leading monthly payroll reconciliations, validation checks, exception reporting and payment processes.
• Ensuring compliance with payroll legislation, tax regulations, pension requirements and internal policies.
• Managing payroll controls, governance, audit requirements and statutory reporting.
• Overseeing pension auto enrolment, statutory deductions, bonus payments and annual remuneration reviews.
• Acting as the business lead for payroll systems, including SAP and Workday, ensuring effective utilisation and compliant processes.
• Driving process improvement, automation and reporting enhancements to improve payroll accuracy and efficiency.
• Managing relationships with external providers, software vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Leading, developing and supporting the payroll team, ensuring deadlines and service standards are consistently met.

You will have significant experience managing end to end payroll within a medium to large corporate environment, ideally within a complex, multi stakeholder organisation.

You will also demonstrate:

• Strong practical experience with SAP Payroll and Workday, or equivalent enterprise payroll and HR systems.
• A thorough understanding of UK payroll legislation, taxation, pensions, benefits and compliance.
• Experience leading payroll transformation, system implementation or process improvement initiatives.
• Proven ability to manage and develop a payroll team.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and communicate effectively at senior level.
• Excellent analytical skills, with a strong focus on accuracy, controls and continuous improvement.
• A current CIPP qualification or equivalent professional payroll qualification.

• Salary of £80,000 to £90,000.
• 12 month fixed term contract.
• Senior payroll leadership role within a large, established business.
• Opportunity to lead a sizeable payroll operation and drive process and systems improvements.
• Hybrid working, with dynamic working arrangements available.