Manager - Payroll

Virgin Atlantic; Crawley; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent airline company is seeking a Manager of Payroll located in Crawley, UK, to lead its payroll function. This role entails overseeing payroll operations across multiple regions, ensuring compliance with legislation, and enhancing team performance. The ideal candidate has proven experience in payroll management, excels in stakeholder communication, and possesses strong financial skills. This position offers a hybrid work model and underscores the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading complex payroll operations across UK and international regions.
• High attention to detail with a disciplined approach to data integrity.
• Experience managing external payroll vendors.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the UK and International Payroll team.
• Oversee all end to end payroll operations ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Drive payroll governance, financial reconciliation, audit readiness.

Skills

Leading complex payroll operations

Leading and developing high performing teams

Financial acumen

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Education

Professional payroll or accounting qualification (CIPP, AAT)

Tools

Oracle Fusion

Job description

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Job Description

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Mon - Fri
Location: Hybrid working 3 days a week in VHQ, Crawley, West Sussex
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 15th December 2025

Department: People Operations
Role: Manager of Payroll

In a nutshell

Payroll sits at the heart of colleague trust. At Virgin Atlantic, we take that responsibility seriously, especially when managing the complexity of UK and international operations. This role leads our Payroll function across all operating regions, ensuring every colleague is paid accurately, compliantly, and on time.

You will champion payroll excellence, shape strategic improvements, work closely with senior stakeholders, and improve the colleague experience through strong governance, smarter processes, and high quality reporting. This is a high impact leadership role where your expertise strengthens the foundations of our People and Finance operations.

Day to day

• Lead and develop the UK and International Payroll team, building high performance, engagement, and capability.
• Oversee all end to end payroll operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery across multiple jurisdictions.
• Drive payroll governance, financial reconciliation, audit readiness, and alignment with policies and controls.
• Manage strategic vendor relationships and ensure strong service levels.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Tax, and Internal Audit teams to align payroll operations with wider business objectives.
• Lead process optimisation, innovation, and system improvements, including Oracle Fusion.
• Ensure statutory compliance across PAYE, NI, pensions, benefits, and international variations.
• Oversee enquiry resolution, escalations, and service excellence across all payroll touchpoints.
• Maintain high quality documentation, knowledge growth, and training across the team.

About you

• Proven experience leading complex payroll operations across UK and international regions, with deep knowledge of payroll legislation and compliance.
• Proven and highly skilled at leading, motivating, and developing high performing teams of a minimum of 5 individuals.
• Strong financial acumen including payroll accounting, reconciliations, and audit processes.
• Confident managing external payroll vendors and driving accountability.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to work effectively across HR, Finance, senior leaders, and external auditors.
• High attention to detail with a disciplined approach to data integrity, governance, and quality assurance.
• Experience with Oracle Fusion or a professional payroll or accounting qualification (CIPP, AAT) is desirable.

Be yourself - Our differences make us stronger

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That's why we're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.

To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you'd like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team: [e-mail], feeling confident that we've got your individual considerations covered.

Additional information
At Virgin Atlantic, our leaders empower teams to thrive through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Explore our Leadership Recipe and discover the 20 core ingredients that define what it means to lead with us, driving our mission to be the most loved travel company and achieve sustainable profit. Want to learn more? Click here: https://careers.virginatlantic.com/leadership