Payroll Lead: Strategic, End-to-End Payroll Leader

Cornerstone; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel expenses reimbursed

Job summary

Cornerstone is seeking a Payroll Lead to shape payroll practice across the organisation, delivering a high-quality payroll and pension service, with strong controls and continuous improvement across our Scotland sites.

You will lead Payroll Business Partners, Specialists and Officers, ensuring accurate and timely payment for around 1,800 colleagues while maintaining regulatory compliance and data integrity.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading an end-to-end payroll and pension service in a large or complex organisation.
• Current and detailed knowledge of PAYE, RTI, NI, statutory payments, pension administration and auto-enrolment.
• Degree-level qualification or equivalent; CIPP/IPPM or extensive senior payroll leadership experience.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills with coaching and development experience.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations, journals, controls, month-end and year-end reporting.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Advanced Excel and payroll data-analysis capabilities.
• Ability to interpret legislation and translate requirements into practical processes and guidance.
• Strong risk management and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience improving payroll systems, data quality and service performance.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with integrity.

Responsibilities

• Lead accurate, timely and compliant monthly payroll and pension delivery.
• Lead and develop the Payroll Team to maintain a positive, accountable environment.
• Review and approve payroll before submission with appropriate checks and authorisations.
• Maintain payroll controls, segregation of duties and audit trails.
• Oversee pension administration, reconciliations, journals, month-end and year-end reporting.
• Ensure compliance with payroll, tax, employment, pension and data protection regulations.
• Monitor legislation changes and implement updates effectively.
• Produce payroll MI for Finance, People and senior leaders.
• Use payroll data to identify risks and drive improvements.
• Lead development of payroll systems, processes, controls and data quality.
• Provide guidance on complex payroll matters and challenge assumptions.
• Build relationships with HMRC, pension providers, auditors and system vendors.
• Represent payroll in meetings, projects and working groups.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Strategic oversight

People management

Analytical skills

Excel advanced

Data analysis

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Risk management

Education

Degree-level qualification

CIPP/IPPM qualification

Tools

Access Select Pay

Job description

Cornerstone is seeking a Payroll Lead to shape payroll practice across the organisation, delivering a high-quality payroll and pension service, with strong controls and continuous improvement across our Scotland sites.

You will lead Payroll Business Partners, Specialists and Officers, ensuring accurate and timely payment for around 1,800 colleagues while maintaining regulatory compliance and data integrity.