Payroll Manager

We Do Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

We Do Group in London is seeking an Interim Payroll Manager for a 6-month contract. You will own the monthly payroll for around 260 employees and drive the move from in-house payroll to an outsourced partner.

The role requires practical, hands-on payroll expertise, ability to manage complex pay elements, and close collaboration with HR and Finance to ensure a smooth go-live and embedded processes. This is a 50/50 hybrid role in Southwest London with a focus on accuracy and compliance.

Qualifications

• Extensive UK payroll experience and hands-on month-end work.
• HMRC submissions, pensions, and payroll journals knowledge.
• Led payroll outsourcing or migration projects.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of monthly payroll for ~260 employees, with overtime and variable pay.
• Review payroll for accuracy and HMRC compliance.
• Coordinate HMRC submissions, pensions, and payroll journals.
• Support transition from in-house to outsourced payroll and go-live.
• Provide general administration and respond to payroll queries.

Skills

Payroll processing

UK payroll

HMRC knowledge

Excel skills

Attention to detail

Independent working

Payroll migration

Job description

Interim Payroll Manager

6-Month Interim Contract

£300-£400 per day Inside IR35

Southwest London - 50/50 Hybrid Working

We’re supporting a well-established national building services business that is looking to appoint an experienced Interim Payroll Manager for an initial six-month contract.

This is a hands-on role taking ownership of the monthly payroll for around 260 employees, more than half of whom receive overtime or other variable pay. The current process is detailed and largely manual, so they need someone who genuinely understands payroll and is comfortable getting into the detail.

Alongside running BAU payroll, the big project will be supporting and ultimately owning the move from an in-house payroll to an outsourced provider. You'll see the project through to go-live, check the new provider's output and help ensure the transition is properly embedded before the administrative elements are handed over internally.

The Role

Reporting into the Head of Finance, you'll take day-to-day ownership of payroll while managing the transition to the new outsourced model.

There are effectively two profiles that could work here. It could suit an experienced Payroll Controller / Payroll Manager who has led an outsourcing or payroll migration before, or a strong Senior Payroll Officer / Payroll Supervisor who can confidently run payroll and has been involved in a migration previously and is ready to step up.

Either way, this needs someone practical. There is some general administration attached to the role, so they need someone who is happy to roll their sleeves up and do whatever needs doing rather than being precious about the job description.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the monthly payroll for around 260 employees, including significant volumes of overtime, absence and variable pay
• Review payroll for accuracy and ensure ongoing compliance with HMRC legislation
• Complete month-end payroll activities including HMRC submissions, pensions and payroll journals
• Process manual gross-to-net calculations, bonuses, termination payments and statutory payments including SSP, SMP and SPP
• Work closely with HR on starters, leavers and pay changes, while managing payroll queries from employees and managers
• Manage day-to-day benefits administration including pensions and private medical insurance
• Take ownership of the transition to an outsourced payroll provider, coordinating the move through to go-live
• Review initial outsourced payroll runs, identify issues and ensure the new process is operating accurately before supporting the final handover
• Pick up wider administration where required, including some fleet-related and general office administration

What We're Looking For

• Experienced Payroll Controller, Payroll Manager, Senior Payroll Officer or Payroll Supervisor
• Strong hands-on experience running a busy, variable payroll, ideally with significant overtime and manual adjustments
• Previous involvement in a payroll outsourcing, implementation or system migration - ideally having led one, although strong supporting experience will be considered
• Good technical payroll knowledge including statutory payments, HMRC requirements, pensions, journals and gross-to-net calculations
• Confident taking ownership of payroll and working independently with Finance and HR
• Good Excel skills with strong attention to detail and organisation
• Practical, flexible and happy to pick up wider administration alongside the core payroll responsibilities
• Available immediately or at short notice

Why Join?

This is a great interim opportunity for someone who wants more than simply running the same payroll each month. You'll have full exposure to a payroll outsourcing project from the in-house process through to go-live, while still owning a complex payroll and working closely with senior finance leadership.