Payroll Team Leader

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Payroll Services Team Leader to join a leading global organisation with a proud heritage and a strong record of growth and innovation. Based at the Milton Keynes head office, this role offers you the chance to lead a dedicated payroll team responsible for delivering accurate and timely payroll across a large, multi-site workforce.

This is a great opportunity for a motivated payroll professional looking to take ownership of a key function within a respected and supportive business. You’ll combine leadership, compliance, and technical expertise to deliver a reliable payroll service while identifying opportunities to streamline processes and develop your team. Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid working, a generous benefits package, and the chance to play a vital role in a forward-thinking payroll operation that supports employees across the UK.

What you’ll do

• Lead and support a team of payroll professionals, fostering collaboration, development, and high performance.

• Oversee the end-to-end payroll process for both salaried and hourly employees, ensuring accuracy and compliance at every stage.

• Maintain adherence to PAYE, National Insurance, pensions, and statutory legislation.

• Act as the primary contact for escalated payroll queries and internal stakeholders.

• Liaise with HMRC, auditors, and external agencies on payroll-related matters.

• Manage payroll systems, oversee upgrades, and ensure data integrity.

• Implement and monitor internal controls to reduce risk and ensure accurate reporting.

• Produce payroll KPIs and insights for senior leadership, supporting business decision-making.

• Drive process improvement, automation, and payroll transformation projects.

What you bring

You’ll be an experienced payroll professional who takes pride in accuracy, compliance, and leadership. You’ll be confident managing a team and able to balance hands-on delivery with strategic thinking.

• Strong working knowledge of UK payroll legislation and statutory requirements.

• Proven experience managing payroll in a high-volume or multi-site environment.

• Track record of leading and developing a team to deliver consistent results.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with great attention to detail.

• Skilled at building relationships across HR, Finance, and senior leadership.

• Familiarity with pension schemes, benefits, and payroll reconciliations.

• CIPP qualification (or equivalent professional experience) preferred.

• Experience in payroll audits, system changes, or process improvement projects.

What’s on offer

• Salary up to £50,000 (depending on experience)

• 33 days of annual leave (including bank holidays)

• Flexible hybrid working

• Company pension scheme

• Life assurance (with option to increase cover)

• Exclusive retail discounts and car purchase offers

• Family-friendly policies and wellbeing support

• Cycle-to-work scheme

• Share purchase plan and referral rewards

• Paid volunteering day each year

• Continuous learning and development opportunities

If you’re looking for a leadership role where your payroll expertise can make a genuine impact — and you want to join an organisation that values professionalism, teamwork, and personal wellbeing — we’d love to hear from you.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates