Payroll Manager

Senior Payroll Manager

Location: Sutton, Surrey (Hybrid)

Salary: £65,000 + Bonus + Benefits

About the Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Senior Payroll Manager to join a growing and dynamic organisation. Reporting directly to the CFO, this is a key leadership role responsible for overseeing the payroll and reward function.

Managing one direct report, you will take ownership of payroll operations, reward and benefits, compliance, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives. This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll professional who enjoys being both strategic and operational within a fast-paced business environment.

The Role

As Senior Payroll Manager, you will lead the end-to-end payroll process while driving the development of reward and benefits programmes that support employee engagement and retention.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Management

• Manage the full payroll cycle.
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of salaries, pensions, bonuses, benefits, deductions, P11Ds and statutory payments.
• Maintain compliance with payroll legislation, HMRC requirements and internal controls.
• Oversee payroll reconciliations, reporting and audit requirements.
• Act as the primary point of contact for payroll-related queries.
• Work closely with HR to ensure data accuracy and efficient payroll processing.

Reward & Benefits

• Lead and manage the organisation's reward and benefits offering.
• Support annual salary reviews, bonus processes and benchmarking exercises.
• Provide reporting and analysis to support reward decisions.
• Ensure reward and benefits packages remain competitive and aligned with business objectives.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Lead payroll system improvements and future implementations.
• Drive automation, process efficiencies and enhanced reporting capabilities.
• Ensure payroll data integrity and robust process documentation.
• Support ongoing transformation and continuous improvement projects.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner closely with Finance, HR and senior stakeholders.
• Provide payroll and reward analysis to support decision-making and annual audits.
• Build strong working relationships across the business.
• Communicate effectively with employees at all levels.

About You

You will have:

• Proven experience managing a payroll and reward function.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and compliance requirements.
• Experience implementing or improving payroll systems.
• Advanced Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs and data analysis.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Strong organisational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and process improvement.
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A collaborative and hands-on working style.

What's on Offer?

• £65,000 salary
• 10% annual bonus
• Auto-enrolment pension scheme
• 25 days annual leave, increasing with length of service
• Hybrid working flexibility
• Opportunity to lead a key business function
• Exposure to system implementation and transformation projects

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced payroll professional looking to take ownership of a complex payroll and reward function while playing a key role in driving process improvement and supporting business growth.