Head of Payroll

JD GROUP; Bury; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

JD Group in the UK is seeking a Head of Payroll – UK & IRL based at the Bury Office. This senior role leads a large payroll function across multiple entities, delivering accurate, timely payroll for over 25,000 colleagues and driving governance, risk management and process improvement.

You will shape payroll strategy, collaborate with People leadership, and partner with Technology to automate and streamline operations while ensuring compliance with UK and Irish legislation.

Qualifications

• Level 5 Diploma in Payroll Management or equivalent.
• Extensive experience leading payroll functions supporting 10,000+ colleagues within complex, high-volume and multi-site environments.
• Proven experience delivering payroll transformation and working within service centre environments.
• Strong understanding of UK and Irish payroll legislation, pensions, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Demonstrated success in leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Proficiency in payroll systems and advanced Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead payroll operations across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and full legislative compliance.
• Provide strategic direction for payroll delivery, aligning with organisational goals and People strategy.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex payroll matters and ensure effective resolution.
• Drive transformation initiatives to automate, standardise, and enhance payroll processes.
• Constantly deliver continuous improvement to drive measurable benefits across service, cost, and colleague experience.
• Optimise systems and workflows to support scalability and operational efficiency.
• Own payroll governance, risk mitigation, and audit readiness.
• Maintain robust internal controls and ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and report on payroll performance, identifying risks and implementing corrective actions.
• Oversee payroll KPIs and metrics, using data insights to drive performance and service excellence.
• Monitor service levels and ensure delivery against agreed targets.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting, analytics, and decision-making.
• Lead, coach, and develop the payroll team, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and growth.
• Promote wellbeing, inclusion, and career development across the team.
• Lead payroll-related workstreams in People and business projects.
• Ensure successful delivery of payroll initiatives, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder expectations.

Education

Level 5 Diploma in Payroll Management or equivalent

Job description

Head of Payroll – UK & IRL

Working Hours: 40 Hours

Reporting to: Associate Director – People Services

Location: Bury Office

Department: People

Direct Reports: 4

Company overview

Established in 1981 with a single store in the North West of England, the JD Group is a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion and Outdoor brands. The Group now has over 3,000 stores across 38 territories with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. In addition, we operate over 200 JD Gyms throughout the UK.

Role overview

The Head of Payroll is a senior operational and strategic leadership role, responsible for the delivery, optimisation, and transformation of payroll services across the UK, Ireland, and the Channel Islands. Operating in a high-volume, fast-paced environment, with accountability for payroll processing across mulitple legal entities and colleague populations servicing over 25,000 colleagues, this role demands deep payroll expertise, strong leadership, and a forward-thinking approach to process improvement and compliance.

Leading a high-performing team, the role is responsible for payroll strategy, governance, risk managemement, compliance and service excellence while driving automation, technology optimisation and continuous improvement. Acting as the payroll subject matter expert to the People Leadership team, the Head of Payroll partners with senior stakeholders across the wider business to deliver an efficient, scalable and colleague-focussed payroll function aligned to the Group’s objectives.

Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Lead payroll operations across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and full legislative compliance.
• Provide strategic direction for payroll delivery, aligning with organisational goals and People strategy.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex payroll matters and ensure effective resolution.

Optimisation & Continuous Improvement

• In conjunction with the People Technology team, drive transformation initiatives to automate, standardise, and enhance payroll processes.
• Constantly deliver continuous improvement to drive measurable benefits across service, cost, and colleague experience.
• Optimise systems and workflows to support scalability and operational efficiency.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Own payroll governance, risk mitigation, and audit readiness.
• Maintain robust internal controls and ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and report on payroll performance, identifying risks and implementing corrective actions.

Performance & Metrics

• Oversee payroll KPIs and metrics, using data insights to drive performance and service excellence.
• Monitor service levels and ensure delivery against agreed targets.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting, analytics, and decision-making.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the payroll team, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and growth.
• Promote wellbeing, inclusion, and career development across the team.

Project Delivery

• Lead payroll-related workstreams in People and business projects.
• Ensure successful delivery of payroll initiatives, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder expectations.

Experience and Qualifications

• Level 5 Diploma in Payroll Management or equivalent.
• Extensive experience leading payroll functions supporting 10,000+ colleagues within complex, high-volume and multi-site environments.
• Proven experience delivering payroll transformation and working within service centre environments.
• Strong understanding of UK and Irish payroll legislation, pensions, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Demonstrated success in leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Proficiency in payroll systems and advanced Excel skills.

What can we offer you?

The JD Group is a large, fast-moving, exciting workplace. As part of the team, we will offer you full training with our in-house expertise on processing a variety of payrolls to deliver a first-class service. We take pride in what we do and who we do it with.

The JD Group champions talent, and there are opportunities to hone and develop your skills and progress within your role and within the business. We offer study support and opportunities to undertake funded training that leaves you with recognised payroll qualifications. We also offer in-house training to support your development of skills in areas like leadership and public speaking.

As a business, we put people at the centre. Through the JD Foundation, colleagues can take part in charity volunteering opportunities. The business supports your wellbeing through our departmental wellbeing champions, and health and wellbeing events and initiatives. Our employee forum also gives you a voice to tell us what’s important to you and how we can support you.

JD values diversity and inclusion and champions a culture where everyone feels valued, included and celebrated.