Client Payroll Manager

James Gray Associates; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

James Gray Associates is recruiting a Payroll Manager to lead UK payrolls for a portfolio of clients from a Harrow office in a hybrid role. You will manage weekly, monthly and annual payroll cycles and handle starters, leavers, SSP, SMP and other statutory payments.

You will work with an outsourced team in India, maintain strong client relationships, ensure accuracy and compliance, and drive improvements to payroll processes and controls.

Qualifications

• Strong payroll bureau/accountancy background.
• Experience managing a large portfolio of client payrolls.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, pensions and statutory payments.
• Experience acting as senior escalation point for clients.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end UK weekly, monthly and annual payrolls across a large client portfolio.
• Handle starters, leavers, SSP, SMP, SPP and other statutory payroll requirements.
• Act as the main escalation point for client payroll queries and technical issues.
• Review and sign off payroll work to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Manage pensions and auto-enrolment requirements with third-party providers.
• Liaise with HMRC, pension providers and other statutory bodies for clients.
• Support onboarding of new clients and establish payroll processes and controls.
• Work with offshore team in India and provide guidance as needed.
• Maintain strong client relationships and ensure SLAs are met.
• Keep up to date with UK payroll legislation and communicate changes to clients.
• Identify opportunities for cross-selling and upselling additional services.
• Ensure client billing is accurate and completed promptly.

Skills

Client-facing experience

UK payroll knowledge

Relationship management

Escalation point

Tools

BrightPay

Xero

Sage

Job description

Payroll Manager

Salary: Up to £60,000 + annual discretionary bonus

Location: Harrow, London

Working Pattern: Hybrid - 4 days in the office

Contract: Permanent

Payroll: Approx. 500 client payrolls

The role will manage around 500 payrolls, ranging from small businesses with 1-50 employees through to larger clients of up to around 200 employees. You'll be the main point of contact and escalation point for UK clients, so strong technical knowledge and client-facing experience are really important.

You'll also work closely with an outsourced payroll team in India, providing support and oversight where required.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end UK weekly, monthly and annual payrolls across a large client portfolio.
• Handle starters, leavers, SSP, SMP, SPP and other statutory payroll requirements.
• Act as the main escalation point for client payroll queries and technical issues.
• Review and sign off payroll work to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Manage pensions and auto-enrolment requirements, including relationships with third-party providers.
• Liaise with HMRC, pension providers and other statutory bodies on behalf of clients.
• Support the onboarding of new clients and establish effective payroll processes and controls.
• Work with the offshore team in India and provide guidance where needed.
• Maintain strong, long-term relationships with clients and ensure agreed SLAs are met.
• Keep up to date with UK payroll legislation and communicate relevant changes to clients and the team.
• Identify opportunities for cross-selling and upselling additional services.
• Ensure client billing is accurate and completed promptly.

Ideal Candidate

• Strong payroll bureau/accountancy practice background is essential.
• Experienced managing a large portfolio of client payrolls independently.
• Strong technical knowledge of UK payroll legislation, pensions and statutory payments.
• Confident acting as a senior point of escalation for clients.
• Experience reviewing/signing off other people's payroll work.
• Strong client relationship and communication skills.
• Experience with BrightPay, Xero and/or Sage would be useful.

JGA Recruitment Group Ltd ("We") are committed to equality of opportunity for all applications regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply. We are also committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We are a specialist payroll, HR & Reward recruitment agency and recruitment business as defined in the Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (our business). These statements together with our privacy notices set out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us.