Payroll Manager

Aldwych Consulting; Southwick; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Aldwych Consulting is seeking a skilled Payroll & Compliance Manager to lead weekly and monthly payroll operations in a UK-based role. The position covers pensions, benefits, and payroll compliance across projects.

The successful candidate will oversee payroll governance, ensure regulatory compliance, and provide MI to senior stakeholders while supporting HR, Finance and procurement with compliance matters.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing complex weekly and monthly payrolls in a UK business.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, taxation, NI, pensions and statutory payments.
• Experience reviewing, reconciling and signing off payroll.
• Experience with payroll reporting, cost allocation and general ledger reconciliations.
• Good working knowledge of pension auto-enrolment and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end weekly and monthly payroll processes, ensuring accuracy, efficiency and compliance.
• Review and authorise payroll calculations, reconciliations and statutory payments.
• Ensure compliance with UK payroll legislation and statutory requirements.
• Manage pension administration, auto-enrolment submissions and regulatory reporting.
• Produce regular payroll reports and MI for senior stakeholders.

Skills

UK payroll legislation

Payroll processing

Pensions administration

IR35 understanding

Excel skills

Analytical skills

Cross-department communication

Education

CIPP credential

Payroll qualification

Tools

Miracle Pay

PeopleHR

Job description

Payroll & Compliance Manager

Location: Brighton

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time

The Opportunity

We are working with an established and successful company who are looking to appoint an experienced Payroll & Compliance Manager to join their team.

This is a key position within the business, offering responsibility for the management, governance and compliance of payroll, pensions, employee benefits and workforce-related legislation.

The successful candidate will oversee complex weekly and monthly payroll operations, ensuring accuracy, regulatory compliance and effective financial reporting. The role will also involve supporting wider HR, Finance and Procurement functions, particularly in relation to employment compliance and the management of subcontracted and agency labour.

This opportunity would suit an experienced Payroll Manager who enjoys taking ownership of payroll processes and has a strong understanding of UK employment legislation, ideally gained within the construction, civil engineering or a similar labour-intensive industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage end-to-end weekly and monthly payroll processes, ensuring accuracy, efficiency and compliance.

• Review and authorise payroll calculations, reconciliations, statutory deductions and payments.

• Ensure compliance with UK payroll legislation, including PAYE, National Insurance, pensions, salary sacrifice arrangements and statutory payments.

• Manage pension administration, including auto-enrolment, pension submissions, reconciliations and regulatory reporting.

• Oversee payroll costing and allocation to individual construction projects and general ledger systems.

• Support year-end payroll activities, including P60s, P11Ds and associated statutory reporting.

• Maintain accurate employee records and ensure the integrity of payroll and HR systems.

• Produce regular payroll reports and management information for senior stakeholders.

• Oversee payroll-related employee benefits, including insurance and private medical schemes.

• Provide guidance on IR35, employment status and associated compliance obligations.

• Monitor compliance relating to agency workers, subcontractors and labour suppliers, including right-to-work requirements and modern slavery legislation.

• Support internal and external audits, including responding to HMRC and client compliance enquiries.

• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, controls, reporting and overall efficiency.

• Provide support and guidance to payroll team members, helping resolve complex payroll, pensions and benefits queries.

About You

We are looking for an experienced payroll professional who combines strong technical knowledge with excellent organisational skills and an eye for detail.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven experience managing complex weekly and monthly payroll operations within a UK business.

• Comprehensive knowledge of UK payroll legislation, taxation, National Insurance, pensions and statutory payments.

• Experience reviewing, reconciling and signing off payroll.

• Experience with payroll reporting, cost allocation and general ledger reconciliations.

• Good working knowledge of pension auto-enrolment and associated compliance requirements.

• An understanding of IR35, employment status and workforce compliance.

• Experience using payroll and HR management systems.

• Strong Excel, numerical and analytical skills.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across Finance, HR and operational teams.

• A proactive, organised approach with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

Desirable experience:

• Knowledge of agency labour, subcontractor compliance and construction-sector employment practices.

• Experience with payroll systems such as Miracle Pay or PeopleHR.

• A recognised payroll qualification, such as CIPP, or equivalent practical experience.

• Additional qualifications or knowledge relating to taxation.

Aldwych Consulting values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

For the purposes of the Conduct Regulations 2003, when advertising permanent vacancies we are acting as an Employment Agency, and when advertising temporary/contract vacancies we are acting as an Employment Business.