Deputy Payroll Manager

Goodman Masson; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading not-for-profit organization is seeking a Deputy Payroll Manager to oversee complex payroll services across multiple jurisdictions. You will manage payroll operations while leading a team, ensuring compliance and optimizing systems. The ideal candidate has significant payroll experience, is CIPP qualified, and has strong leadership and analytical skills. This role offers a hybrid working model with a 12-month fixed-term contract.

Benefits

Hybrid working model

Mission-driven organization

Opportunity for impact in payroll operations

Qualifications

• CIPP Qualified or extensive experience in Payroll.
• Substantial experience with multiple, complex payrolls.
• Experience in leading and mentoring a payroll team.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills (intermediate to advanced).
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Attention to detail and high levels of accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Support the Payroll Manager in payroll processes and controls.
• Lead end-to-end management of payroll functions.
• Supervise payroll assistants and maintain performance standards.
• Develop relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify process improvements and system enhancements.
• Provide strategic input on payroll risks and compliance.

Skills

CIPP Qualified

Experience in complex payroll environments

Proven people management

Strong competency in Microsoft Excel

Excellent communication skills

Analytical mindset

Customer-focused approach

Job description

Deputy Payroll Manager (12-month fixed-term / maternity cover)

Location: Hybrid / London HQ (minimum 40% on site)
Hours: Full-time (min. 35 hrs/week)
Salary: £43,000 £47,000

About the role
Goodman Masson is partnering with a major UK-wide not-for-profit organisation to recruit a Deputy Payroll Manager (maternity cover, up to 12 months). This is a key leadership role supporting a complex payroll operation across multiple jurisdictions and stakeholder groups.

You will report to the Payroll Manager and play a pivotal role in delivering payroll services across eight monthly payrolls covering over 8,000 payees (including employees, pensioners, volunteers and commissioned officers). The role demands strong technical acumen, tactical delivery skills, stakeholder engagement, and team leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Support the Payroll Manager in defining and enforcing robust payroll timetables, processes and controls to ensure compliant, accurate, and timely payroll delivery across all legal entities

• Lead on the end-to-end management and delivery of payroll functions, including deductions, third-party payments, tax and statutory returns, and liaising with finance/accounting teams to ensure accurate general ledger posting

• Supervise and mentor payroll assistants, ensuring high standards of performance, training, and appropriate resource allocation

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders (e.g. HR, finance, banks, regulatory bodies) to ensure effective coordination of data flows and compliance

• Proactively identify and drive process improvements, system enhancements, and standardisation across multiple jurisdictions

• Provide strategic input on payroll risks, compliance, internal control, and reporting

What we re looking for

• CIPP Qualified, or extensive experience in Payroll

• Substantial experience working within payroll in an environment with multiple, complex payrolls

• Proven people management experience (leading/mentoring a small payroll team)

• Strong competency in Microsoft Excel (intermediate to advanced)

• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and communication skills

• Analytical mindset with attention to detail and high levels of accuracy

• A customer-focused, solutions-driven approach

Why consider this opportunity?

• Work within a mission-driven, socially impactful organisation

• A chance to make a visible difference in optimising payroll operations

• Hybrid working model (flexibility to balance remote and on-site presence)

• Exposure to multi-entity payroll across the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, and overseas

• 12-month fixed-term contract with potential for extension depending on business needs