Payroll Manager

Cobb & Jones Recruitment Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Cobb & Jones Recruitment Limited is recruiting an experienced Payroll Manager with strong Workday expertise to join our client’s multi-site group at Heathrow. You will own and deliver accurate payroll processing across the group, ensuring governance and data integrity while liaising with HR, Finance and external payroll providers.

The role requires 3–5+ years of payroll experience, deep knowledge of UK payroll legislation, and hands-on Workday experience.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years payroll experience.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation (HMRC, PAYE, NIC).
• Hands-on experience using Workday for payroll or HR data feeding into payroll.
• Experience managing end-to-end payroll processes.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations and controls.
• Ability to manage confidential data with integrity.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end payroll process (monthly and weekly as applicable).
• Validate payroll outputs and complete pre- and post-payroll reconciliations; submit RTI to HMRC.
• Act as Workday payroll lead; configure payroll workflows and ensure data integrity across payroll fields.
• Support optimisation of Workday payroll processes, including automation and integration with external providers.
• Liaise with payroll bureau or managed provider; transition employees onto a single service and resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure compliance with HMRC, PAYE, NIC, pension auto-enrolment; manage year-end processes (P60s, P11Ds).
• Serve as payroll SME for queries and resolve complex issues; support HR and managers.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency and employee experience; support HR transformation.

Skills

Payroll experience

UK payroll

Workday

End-to-end payroll

Attention to detail

Payroll reconciliations

Data confidentiality

Education

CIPP qualification

Tools

Workday

Job description

Payroll Manager Heathrow Salary:£55K - Hybrid Working

Our client, a long-established, multi-site organisation with a strong reputation in their sector, is looking to recruit an experienced Payroll Specialist with strong Workday expertise to join their group.

In this role, you will own and deliver accurate, compliant and efficient payroll processing across the group, using Workday as the system of record and ensuring strong governance, controls and employee experience throughout. Acting as the organisation's payroll subject matter expert, you will work closely with HR Operations, Finance and third-party payroll providers to keep payroll running smoothly across multiple entities.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end payroll process (monthly and weekly as applicable), including starters, leavers, changes, variable pay, and absence and statutory payments.
• Validate payroll outputs and complete pre- and post-payroll reconciliations, ensuring timely submission of RTI (FPS/EPS) to HMRC.
• Act as payroll lead for Workday, ensuring accurate payroll inputs, effective configuration of payroll-related workflows, and data integrity across all payroll fields.
• Support optimisation of Workday payroll processes, including automation, reduction of manual input, and integration with external payroll providers.
• Liaise with the payroll bureau or managed payroll provider, supporting the transition of employees onto a single managed service, validating outputs, challenging discrepancies and acting as an escalation point for issues.
• Ensure compliance with HMRC regulations, PAYE, NIC, statutory payments and pension auto-enrolment requirements, including regular pension administration.
• Manage year-end processes (P60s, P11Ds where applicable), maintain robust audit trails and controls, and stay current with legislative change.
• Act as subject matter expert for payroll queries, resolving complex employee issues and supporting HR and managers with payroll-related questions.
• Identify and deliver opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency and employee experience, working with HR Operations to enhance Workday utilisation, reduce manual processes and standardise payroll inputs.
• Support broader HR transformation initiatives across the group.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications

Essential

• Proven payroll experience, ideally 3-5+ years.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation (HMRC, PAYE, NIC).
• Hands-on experience using Workday, either directly for payroll or for HR data feeding into payroll.
• Experience managing end-to-end payroll processes.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations and controls.
• Ability to manage confidential data with integrity.

Desirable

• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers.
• CIPP qualification, or working towards one.
• Experience in multi-site organisations.
• Exposure to HR systems integration or optimisation.
• Experience improving or transforming payroll processes.
• Previous consultancy experience.
• Previous experience of M&A activity and consolidating multiple payrolls.

About Our Client

Our client is a long-established, multi-site organisation with a strong reputation in their sector, bringing together several business units under one group. Their people are central to their success, and they're proud of a culture built on accuracy, reliability and continuous improvement.

Their HR and payroll function supports employees across multiple locations and legal entities, offering genuine exposure to payroll transformation, systems optimisation and multi-site consolidation work that's hard to find elsewhere at this level.

Our client is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know so we can support you.