Payroll Lead

Tata Consultancy Services; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Health care

Life assurance

Laptop

Phone

Training resources

London Marathon sponsor

Job summary

Tata Consultancy Services UK is seeking a Payroll Lead in a hybrid role based in Peterborough. You will oversee end-to-end payroll operations across UK, Ireland and Isle of Man, partnering with HR and Finance to ensure accuracy, compliance and timely delivery.

This leadership position offers opportunity to shape payroll strategy, drive system upgrades and analytics, while delivering an excellent employee experience and engaging with external vendors.

Qualifications

• Experience in UK payroll legislation and end-to-end payroll processing.
• Experience in multi-country payroll environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proven stakeholder management and communication abilities.
• Ability to drive process improvements and automation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the full payroll cycle for UK, Ireland and Isle of Man.
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing for all employees on the three payrolls.
• Review outputs and produce reports for stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with local tax, statutory, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead audits and resolve compliance issues.
• Drive payroll system implementations or upgrades and digital transformation.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance and external suppliers.

Skills

Payroll processing

Payroll legislation knowledge

Multi-country payroll

Analytical skills

Excel & data analysis

Stakeholder management

Deadline management

Payroll optimisation

System upgrades

UK, Ireland, Isle of Man payrolls

Tools

Excel

Job description

Role: Payroll Lead

Location: Peterborough, UK

Contract: Permanent

Mode of Working: Hybrid

Are you looking to leverage your skills in UK Payroll?

We have a great opportunity for you - Payroll Lead!

Careers at TCS: It means more

TCS is a purpose-led transformation company, built on belief. We do not just help businesses to transform through technology. We support them in making a meaningful difference to the people and communities they serve - our clients include some of the biggest brands in the UK and worldwide. For you, it means more to make an impact that matters, through challenging projects which demand ambitious innovation and thought leadership.

• Build strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Gain access to endless learning opportunities.
• Work closely with the range of teams within the business to bring products to life.

The Role:

As a Payroll Lead, you will be responsible to oversee and manage end-to-end payroll operations across the UK, Ireland, and Isle of Man. This is a critical leadership position responsible for delivering accurate, compliant, and timely payroll while driving process excellence and stakeholder confidence. The role also provides an opportunity to shape payroll strategy, enhance systems, and deliver best-in-class employee experience

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the full payroll cycle for each payroll (input, validation, processing, and post-payroll activities)
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of the payroll for all employees on each of the 3 payrolls.
• Review payroll outputs and produce reports accordingly to different stakeholders.
• Ensure adherence to local tax, statutory, and regulatory requirements
• Manage audits and resolve compliance issues
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll legislation and system changes
• Act as the primary contact for HR, Finance, and external vendors - Pension Providers
• Manage escalations and ensure timely resolution of employee queries
• Support business stakeholders with payroll insights and reporting
• Identify opportunities for process optimisation and automation
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance accuracy and efficiency
• Support payroll system implementations or upgrades

Skills & Experience

• Strong experience in payroll processing and legislation (UK or relevant jurisdiction)
• Proven ability to manage multi-country payroll environments
• High attention to detail with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Advanced Excel and data analysis capability
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Opportunity to lead payroll across multiple jurisdictions and directly influence accuracy, compliance, and employee experience.
• Be at the forefront of payroll optimisation, system upgrades, and digital transformation initiatives - not just BAU processing.
• Hands-on exposure to UK, Ireland, and Isle of Man payrolls, enhancing your international payroll expertise.
• Leverage payroll data to provide business insights, contributing to broader HR and financial decision-making.
• Work closely with senior HR, Finance, and external partners, ensuring strong business alignment.
• Ideal role for professionals looking to transition into regional payroll leadership or broader Total Rewards roles.

Rewards & Benefits (Default)

TCS is consistently voted a Top Employer in the UK and globally. Our competitive salary packages feature pension, health care, life assurance, laptop, phone, access to extensive training resources and discounts within the larger Tata network.

We offer health & wellness initiatives and sports events; we are the proud sponsor of the London Marathon.

Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing

Tata Consultancy Services UK&I is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of all individuals in accordance with the UK Equality Act 2010 and the UK Human Rights Act 1998.

We welcome and embrace diversity in race, nationality, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender identity, age, physical ability, gender reassignment, sexual orientation. We are a disability inclusive employer and encourage disabled people to apply for this role.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we offer an interview to applicants with disabilities or long-term conditions who meet the minimum criteria for the role. Please email us at [e-mail] if you would like to opt in.

If you are an applicant who needs any adjustments to the application process or interview, please contact us at [e-mail] with the subject line: "Adjustment Request" or call TCS London Office 02031552100 / [phone] to request an adjustment. We welcome requests prior to you completing the application and at any stage of the recruitment process.

Due to the high volume of applications, we will be unable to contact each applicant individually on the status of their application. If you have not received a direct response within 30 days, then it should be deemed unsuccessful on this occasion.