Payroll Manager

CPS Group; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-established organisation in Cardiff is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager for a 12-month fixed-term contract. This role involves leadership of a small payroll team, ensuring accuracy and compliance in payroll processing for the UK workforce. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in UK payroll, excellent leadership skills, and experience in shared services. The position offers a hybrid working model, combining office time with a supportive environment.

Benefits

Hybrid working

Supportive working environment

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a UK Payroll Manager or Payroll Operations Manager role.
• Strong people leadership skills with experience managing mixed-level payroll teams.
• Solid understanding of UK payroll legislation, pensions and auto-enrolment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team in payroll processing.
• Oversee end-to-end UK payroll processing in a high-volume environment.
• Ensure payroll data accuracy and compliance.

Skills

People leadership

UK payroll legislation

Attention to detail

Collaborative communication

Job description

Payroll Manager

12-Month Fixed Term Contract | Hybrid (2–3 days per week in Cardiff)

We’re partnering with an excellent, well-established organisation to recruit an experienced Payroll Manager on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is a hands‑on leadership role, ideal for someone who enjoys managing people, ensuring operational excellence, and delivering a high‑quality payroll service within a shared services environment.

You’ll take ownership of payroll delivery for the UK workforce, leading a small, established team and working closely with Finance and wider stakeholders to ensure accuracy, compliance, and continuous improvement.

The Role

As Payroll Manager, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management and performance of the payroll function, including:

• Leading and supporting a team of Senior Payroll Officers, Senior Administrators and temporary staff

• Overseeing end‑to‑end UK payroll processing in a high‑volume environment

• Ensuring all payroll data is accurate, compliant, and delivered to agreed deadlines

• Completing and reviewing payroll checks prior to submission

• Managing BACS payments to employees, HMRC and third‑party bodies

• Authorising payroll payments in collaboration with Finance

• Maintaining and reconciling General Ledger payroll entries and resolving exceptions

• Monitoring legislative and policy changes, ensuring payroll processes remain compliant

• Supporting audit activity and process reviews, including engagement with external consultants

• Acting as a key point of contact for payroll‑related queries that impact pay, tax or benefits

This role requires someone who is confident, grounded and personable, with the ability to lead calmly and effectively through a fixed‑term period of change.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in a UK Payroll Manager or Payroll Operations Manager role

• Strong people leadership skills with experience managing mixed‑level payroll teams

• Demonstrable experience working within a shared services payroll model

• Exposure to high‑volume payrolls

• Solid understanding of UK payroll legislation, pensions and auto‑enrolment

• Experience of payrolling benefits and P11Ds (at a working knowledge level)

• High attention to detail and strong governance mindset

• Confident communicator, able to work collaboratively across functions

What’s on Offer

• 12‑month fixed‑term contract

• Hybrid working – 2–3 days per week in Cardiff

• Opportunity to lead an established payroll function within a respected organisation

• Supportive, professional working environment

If you’re an experienced payroll leader looking for a well‑defined fixed‑term opportunity where you can make a real impact, we’d love to hear from you.