Payroll Manager


Company:	Hays Specialist Recruitment
Salary:	£73,000 to £78,000 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	City of London, EC2V 6DN
Working pattern:	Hybrid - 2 days remote
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	10 Sept 2026
Closing date:	10 Oct 2026

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Summary

A London Local Authority is seeking an experienced and motivated Payroll Manager to lead the delivery of a high-quality payroll service.

Reporting to senior management, you will take overall responsibility for the payroll function, ensuring the accurate and timely payment of employees whilst maintaining compliance with all statutory, pension and contractual obligations. This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll professional with strong leadership skills, local government experience and a passion for service improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Manage the end-to-end payroll operation, ensuring accurate and timely processing of monthly payrolls for a large and diverse workforce.

Lead, motivate and develop the Payroll Team through effective performance management, coaching, training and succession planning.

Ensure compliance with all payroll legislation including PAYE, National Insurance, statutory payments, attachment orders, salary sacrifice schemes and year-end reporting requirements.

Oversee payroll-related deductions and pension administration, including Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) regulations and reporting requirements.

Develop and maintain robust payroll controls, procedures and reconciliation processes to ensure payroll accuracy and minimise risk.

Lead on payroll audits, responding to internal and external audit recommendations and implementing corrective actions where required.

Act as the payroll subject-matter expert, providing specialist advice and guidance to senior managers, HR, Finance and employees on complex payroll matters.

Manage the payroll aspects of organisational change programmes, restructures, TUPE transfers and pay reviews.

Build and maintain effective working relationships with HR, Finance, Pension Administrators, HMRC and external payroll providers where applicable.

Produce payroll management information, statutory returns and reporting data to support organisational decision-making.

Lead on payroll system maintenance, upgrades, testing and implementation of new functionality.

Identify and implement process improvements, driving efficiencies and continuous service enhancement across payroll operations.

Ensure compliance with local government pay agreements, terms and conditions, and national legislative changes affecting payroll delivery.

Manage service level agreements and performance measures, ensuring key deadlines and service standards are consistently achieved.

Support budget monitoring and financial reconciliation activities relating to payroll expenditure.

You will have:

Significant payroll management experience within a large and complex organisation.

Previous Local Government payroll experience and knowledge of Local Government terms and conditions.

Strong understanding of LGPS administration and pension regulations.

Detailed knowledge of payroll legislation and HMRC requirements.

Experience managing payroll systems such as Oracle, iTrent, Midland HR, ResourceLink or equivalent.

Proven experience leading, developing and motivating payroll teams.

Strong analytical skills with experience of payroll reconciliations, reporting and audit requirements.

Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

A track record of delivering payroll service improvements and managing change projects.

Benefits

✅ Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

✅ Hybrid and flexible working arrangements

✅ Generous annual leave entitlement

✅ Employee wellbeing programme

✅ Learning and development opportunities

✅ Career progression within a large public sector organisation

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If you are an experienced Payroll Manager looking to lead a busy payroll service within a progressive London Local Authority, we would welcome your application.

No sponsorship available for this post

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