Hybrid Payroll Lead: Senior Compliance & Insights

Cornerstone (Aberdeen); Dundee; Hybrid; GBP 46,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident employer scheme

Job summary

Cornerstone (Aberdeen) in Dundee is seeking a Payroll Lead to shape payroll and pension delivery across the charity. You will lead a team of Payroll Partners, Specialists and Officers, ensuring accurate, compliant and timely pay for around 1,800 colleagues.

This senior role blends strategic oversight with hands-on leadership, driving improvements in systems, controls and data quality while providing advice to Finance and People leaders.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing end-to-end payroll and pension services.
• Knowledge of PAYE, RTI, National Insurance, pensions and auto-enrolment.
• Degree-level qualification; CIPP/IPPM or equivalent experience.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations, journals, month-end and year-end reporting.
• Advanced Excel and payroll data analysis skills.
• Ability to interpret legislation and translate requirements into processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead accurate, timely and compliant monthly payroll and pension services.
• Develop and support the Payroll Team, creating a positive environment.
• Review and approve payroll before submission with proper checks and authorisations.
• Maintain payroll controls, audit trails and segregation of duties.
• Oversee submissions, pension administration, reconciliations, journals, month-end & year-end activities.
• Ensure compliance with payroll, tax, pension and data protection requirements.
• Monitor legislative developments and implement changes.
• Produce payroll analysis and MI for Finance and senior leaders.
• Use data to identify risks and drive continuous improvement.
• Build relationships with HMRC, pension providers, auditors and advisers.

Skills

Payroll leadership

End-to-end payroll

People management

Data analysis

Excel advanced

Regulatory knowledge

PAYE RTI NI

Education

Degree-level qualification

CIPP/IPPM qualification

Tools

Access Select Pay

Job description

Cornerstone (Aberdeen) in Dundee is seeking a Payroll Lead to shape payroll and pension delivery across the charity. You will lead a team of Payroll Partners, Specialists and Officers, ensuring accurate, compliant and timely pay for around 1,800 colleagues.

This senior role blends strategic oversight with hands-on leadership, driving improvements in systems, controls and data quality while providing advice to Finance and People leaders.