Head of HR Operations & Payroll Excellence

Lucy Walker Recruitment; Leeds; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Lucy Walker Recruitment is recruiting an experienced Head of HR Operations to lead a UK & Ireland team from our Leeds base. The role focuses on ensuring compliant HR systems, service delivery, onboarding, and payroll governance with data-driven insights.

You will guide HR technology and analytics, embed employment-law requirements, and drive governance across annual pay, bonuses, and related audits. The successful candidate will shape the colleague experience and operate with impact.

Qualifications

• Relevant payroll qualification or equivalent professional expertise.
• CIPD (not essential)
• Current knowledge across HR processes, documentation, controls, and case administration, with effective partnership on complex ER matters
• Substantial experience leading compliant and reliable UK & Ireland payroll service
• A leader of HR Operations and Payroll teams
• Practical UK TUPE desirable
• Sets high standards for quality and quantity
• Monitors and maintains quality and productivity
• Works in a systematic, methodical, and orderly way
• Consistently achieves project goals

Responsibilities

• Lead HR Operations and Payroll teams
• Own compliant employment documentation and onboarding
• Guide the HR technology and people-data roadmap, using responsible AI
• Embed UK & Ireland employment-law requirements across HR and payroll processes and controls
• Lead helpdesk performance, service levels, and meaningful HR Operations measures
• Turn people analytics into evidence-led decisions
• Own compliant contracts, written particulars, onboarding operations, and employment documentation
• Embed UK & Ireland employment-law requirements across HR and payroll processes
• Enable effective ER delivery through clear triage, accurate case administration, reliable data, and appropriate escalation
• Turn people data and analytics into decision-ready insight
• Guide the HR technology, payroll, and automation roadmap
• Lead annual pay, bonus, performance, gender pay gap, employee survey and audit delivery with strong governance and accurate data

Skills

Leadership

Payroll management

HR operations

Compliance

Data analytics

UK Ireland law

ER handling

CIPD optional

Education

Payroll qualification

CIPD (optional)

Tools

HRIS systems

Payroll software

Job description

Lucy Walker Recruitment is recruiting an experienced Head of HR Operations to lead a UK & Ireland team from our Leeds base. The role focuses on ensuring compliant HR systems, service delivery, onboarding, and payroll governance with data-driven insights.

You will guide HR technology and analytics, embed employment-law requirements, and drive governance across annual pay, bonuses, and related audits. The successful candidate will shape the colleague experience and operate with impact.