Head of Payroll
| Company: | Hartford Care |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £75,000 to £75,000 a year |
| Hours: | Full-time |
| Location: | RG21 7JE |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Posting date: | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Closing date: | 17 Nov 2026 |
Summary
Hartford Care Group is looking for a Head of Payroll to own accurate, controlled and timely payroll across all employees and homes. You’ll lead a payroll function of four, report directly to the CFO, and provide the workforce reporting that supports Finance, HR and operational leadership.
What you’ll be doing
Owning Group payroll across all entities, including timetables, cut-offs, approvals, sign-off and final payment controls
Establishing payroll controls, reconciliations and exception reporting, with variances investigated before payment
Taking responsibility for compliance with HMRC, PAYE, National Insurance, pensions, statutory payments and year-end reporting
Owning payroll data integrity across HR, rostering, time-recording and payroll systems
Leading the Payroll Manager and team, with clear standards, deadlines and cover for critical activities
Producing workforce reporting on FTE, vacancies, overtime, absence, pay trends and payroll-to-revenue ratios
Supporting workforce planning, budgeting and forecasting with reliable pay cost analysis
Maintaining controls over payroll bank files, payment approvals and access rights
Improving payroll processes and systems, reducing manual intervention and increasing resilience
Acting as the senior point of escalation for complex payroll matters
What we’re looking for
CIPP payroll qualification or an equivalent recognised payroll qualification
Significant payroll leadership experience in a complex, multi-site organisation with high employee volumes and tight deadlines
A proven record of end-to-end payroll delivery, including reconciliations, sign-off and gross-to-net accuracy
Strong working knowledge of PAYE, NI, pensions, statutory payments, deductions and benefits, with experience keeping payroll audit-ready
Experience of managing payroll data across HR, rostering and time-recording systems
The analytical ability to explain payroll movements and workforce cost trends clearly
Confidence to challenge incomplete or inaccurate inputs and hold stakeholders to deadlines
Integrity and discretion with confidential employee information