Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager

South East London Borough
Permanent
Circa £63,000 per annum
Hybrid working

Spencer Clarke Group are working with a South East London Borough to recruit a permanent Payroll Manager to lead and support a sizeable payroll function.

This is a key leadership role within the council's payroll service, reporting into the Head of Payroll and taking responsibility for the day-to-day management, improvement and stability of the payroll operation.

The council are looking for someone who can bring strong payroll knowledge, confident people management, stakeholder engagement and a practical approach to improving processes.

What's on Offer

• Permanent Payroll Manager position
• Circa £63,000 per annum
• Potential salary uplift subject to local government pay award / banding review
• Hybrid working arrangement
• Initially 3 days per week on-site, with flexibility once embedded
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Opportunity to lead and improve a key payroll service
• Senior stakeholder exposure across the organisation

The Role

As Payroll Manager, you will be responsible for leading the payroll function, supporting the Head of Payroll and managing teams across payroll operations and technical payroll.

You will oversee a team structure that includes payroll technical staff, senior payroll officers, payroll administrators and team leaders.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing payroll teams across the service
• Acting as an escalation point for complex payroll issues
• Working closely with managers, HR, finance and wider stakeholders
• Reviewing and improving payroll processes, controls and ways of working
• Supporting service stabilisation and performance improvement
• Ensuring payroll deadlines, compliance and accuracy are maintained
• Building confidence in the payroll service across the organisation
• Supporting team development, performance and accountability

About You

The council are looking for an experienced payroll professional who can lead from the front and bring stability to a complex service.
You will ideally have:

• Strong payroll management experience
• Experience managing payroll teams and direct reports
• Local Government payroll experience, ideally within a council setting
• Experience from similar public sector environments such as the NHS, Civil Service or large public bodies will also be considered
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• A track record of improving payroll processes or service delivery
• Confidence dealing with managers and senior stakeholders
• A stable career history with evidence of delivering change and seeing improvements through

Candidates should be able to clearly demonstrate the size and complexity of payrolls they have managed, the teams they have led and the improvements they have delivered.

How to Apply

To be considered, please apply with an up-to-date CV.
For more information, please contact Brad at Spencer Clarke Group.
Referral bonus available - up to £300 for successful referrals.