Payroll Assistant Manager

James Gray Associates; Aberdeen City; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

JGA Recruitment Group Ltd is seeking a Payroll Assistant Manager to oversee delivery of client payrolls and lead a small payroll team in Aberdeen, with Glasgow considered for the right candidate. The role combines technical payroll expertise with people management and client relationship responsibilities.

The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, experience with BrightPay, STAR method, and a track record of meeting deadlines and budget expectations.

Qualifications

• Senior payroll experience with client delivery focus.
• Experience leading a payroll team or supervising staff.
• Solid knowledge of UK payroll legislation and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery of complex client payrolls, ensuring deadlines, accuracy and service standards are consistently met.
• Take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the payroll team, allocating workloads and supporting team performance.
• Act as a senior point of contact for complex payroll issues, providing solutions and escalating where appropriate.
• Keep the team informed of legislative and technical changes, delivering training and updating processes when required.
• Review payroll work and provide coaching, feedback and technical guidance to team members.
• Manage multiple client assignments simultaneously, ensuring work is delivered within agreed timescales and budgets.
• Build strong relationships with clients and become a trusted advisor on payroll matters.
• Oversee payroll systems and resolve software-related issues, working with providers where necessary.
• Maintain accurate client procedures and payroll documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency and client service.
• Support wider commercial activity, including networking, client development and marketing initiatives.

Skills

Payroll delivery

Team leadership

UK payroll legislation

Communication

Deadline management

Problem solving

STAR method

Tools

BrightPay

Job description

Payroll Assistant Manager

Salary: Up to £40,000

Location: Aberdeen, with Glasgow considered for the right candidate

Working Pattern: Hybrid - ideally 3 days office / 2 days home

Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery of complex client payrolls, ensuring deadlines, accuracy and service standards are consistently met
• Take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the payroll team, allocating workloads and supporting team performance
• Act as a senior point of contact for complex payroll issues, providing solutions and escalating where appropriate
• Keep the team informed of legislative and technical changes, delivering training and updating processes when required
• Review payroll work and provide coaching, feedback and technical guidance to team members
• Manage multiple client assignments simultaneously, ensuring work is delivered within agreed timescales and budgets
• Build strong relationships with clients and become a trusted advisor on payroll matters
• Oversee payroll systems and resolve software-related issues, working with providers where necessary
• Maintain accurate client procedures and payroll documentation
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency and client service
• Support wider commercial activity, including networking, client development and marketing initiatives

Ideal Candidate

• Experienced bureau payroll professional with strong knowledge of client payroll delivery
• STAR experience is essential, with BrightPay experience highly desirable
• Previous experience in a senior payroll, supervisory or assistant management position
• Confident managing a team, allocating workloads and supporting the development of junior payroll professionals
• Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation, compliance and industry best practice
• Comfortable dealing with complex payroll queries and technical challenges
• Proven ability to manage a portfolio of clients while working to demanding deadlines
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with confidence dealing directly with clients
• Highly organised, commercially aware and able to manage multiple priorities
• A proactive problem-solver who enjoys finding ways to improve processes and team performance

An excellent opportunity for an experienced bureau payroll professional ready to step into a broader leadership role, combining technical payroll expertise with team management and client responsibility.

JGA Recruitment Group Ltd ("We") are committed to equality of opportunity for all applications regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply. We are also committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We are a specialist payroll, HR & Reward recruitment agency and recruitment business as defined in the Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (our business). These statements together with our privacy notices set out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us.