About this role
Payroll Lead
Birmingham | Hybrid – 2 days in the office | £40k - £43k | Permanent
Take ownership of a 1,000-person payroll and play a key role in transforming how it’s delivered.
This is an opportunity to take the lead on payroll within a large, purpose-led organisation supporting people across the UK. With around 1,000 employees across a variety of roles, from teaching staff to frontline support workers, there’s plenty of complexity to get your teeth into. You’ll be the go-to person for ensuring people are paid accurately and on time, combining hands-on payroll processing with the oversight needed to keep everything running smoothly.
There’s also a major change on the horizon. A new HR system is being introduced, with payroll moving onto the platform in the near future. You’ll play a central role in getting the data, processes and checks ready for the transition, helping shape a more efficient payroll service as the organisation grows.
What you’ll gain A major system transformation to get involved in – play a key role in moving to a new HR and payroll platformReal ownership and influence – become the key point of contact for payroll across Finance, HR and the wider organisationA varied, interesting payroll – work across different contracts, working patterns, overtime, sleepover allowances and term-time calculationsThe chance to shape the function – help strengthen controls and build a more efficient payroll serviceA role where accuracy really matters – ensure around 1,000 colleagues are paid correctly and can rely on the service you deliver What you’ll do Oversee and personally carry out payroll calculations, checks and adjustmentsReview payroll data received from HR, resolve discrepancies and meet strict processing deadlinesLead payroll data preparation, reconciliation and testing for the new system implementationManage payroll queries and act as the escalation point for pay issuesLiaise with HMRC, pension providers and other external partnersSupport and develop the payroll team, building consistency and confidence across the functionImprove payroll procedures, documentation and controls, including the future integration of expenses What you’ll bring Strong hands-on experience processing payroll from start to finish within a medium or large organisationUp-to-date knowledge of UK payroll legislation and statutory payments, including maternity and sick payExperience handling payroll calculations, reconciliations and complex pay queriesConfidence working with payroll systems, Excel and large volumes of employee dataExperience with expenses and payroll system changes would be beneficialA resilient, proactive approach, with the ability to work independently and support less experienced colleagues Interested? If you’re an experienced payroll professional who enjoys getting hands-on, solving problems and improving how payroll works, this is a chance to take ownership of a substantial payroll operation and help shape its next stage.