Payroll Manager

Practice London; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible/remote working

CIPP/CPD support

Other benefits

Job summary

Practice London is expanding its payroll service and seeks a dedicated payroll lead who will own a portfolio of around sixty monthly payrolls across three client teams. You will manage each run, ensure compliance, and be the primary payroll contact for clients, with senior review and director support available.

We require hands-on UK payroll experience in a bureau or practice, personally running 50+ payrolls per month, and strong PAYE/RTI knowledge.

Qualifications

• Hands-on UK payroll experience in a bureau or practice, personally running 50+ payrolls a month.
• Strong knowledge of PAYE, RTI, statutory payments and auto-enrolment.
• Xero Payroll essential; NEST, Smart Pension and People’s Pension are a plus; CIPP welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Run the monthly payroll cycle for client portfolios using Xero Payroll.
• Review each run against a checklist, note variances, and obtain sign-off.
• Own RTI, P60s, year-end and automatic enrolment processes with support as needed.
• Be the named payroll contact for clients and onboard new payroll clients.

Skills

UK payroll experience

Pay As You Earn (PAYE) knowledge

RTI knowledge

Deadlines management

Education

CIPP / payroll certification welcomed

Tools

Xero Payroll

Job description

Practice is a chartered accountancy and advisory firm for creative businesses. We’re growing, and our payroll service is a crucial part of our Michelin-starred support for our clients.

About the role

We’re bringing payroll fully in-house and are looking for a specialist to lead the processing, coordination and client interaction. You’ll own a portfolio of around sixty monthly payrolls for client businesses across our three client teams. You’ll process each run and shape the operations behind it, and clients will know you as their payroll lead.

You’ll have real ownership of the calendar, the controls, compliance and the client experience. A senior colleague reviews every run before it goes out, and a director is on hand for the judgement calls.

What you’ll do

Run the monthly cycle

• Process every payroll in Xero Payroll to an annual calendar agreed with clients, including statutory payments, student loans, attachments of earnings, salary sacrifice, payrolled benefits, directors’ NIC and leavers.
• Handle off-cycle and correction runs, using the right RTI route for in-year and prior-year corrections.

Review & file

• Check each run against a clear checklist and share it for review with a note on key variances and anything unusual.
• Once it’s signed off, submit RTI, release payslips, produce P32s, and upload pension contributions on time.

Ownership

• Take ownership of RTI, P60s, year-end and automatic enrolment: assessments, communications, contributions, re-enrolment and declarations of compliance.
• Keep payroll data secure and act only on instructions from trusted channels.
• Consider any complex terminations, discretionary payments, NMW and employment status questions with the support of a Portfolio Lead.

Look after clients and shape the service

• Be the named payroll contact for every client and onboard new payroll clients.
• Own and refine our payroll process, and keep set-ups consistent across clients.

What you’ll bring

• Hands-on UK payroll experience in a bureau or practice, personally running 50+ payrolls a month.
• Strong knowledge of PAYE, RTI, statutory payments and auto-enrolment.
• Xero Payroll essential. NEST, Smart Pension and People’s Pension are a plus, and CIPP is welcome.
• Rigour in checking your own work, confidence in managing client deadlines, and a sharp eye for anything that doesn’t look right.

Working pattern

Three days a week (22.5 hours), which you can spread across the week, with some flex around the busier points in the payroll cycle. We’ll agree a stable pattern at offer, because clients plan around our payroll calendar.

What success looks like in year one

• You’re running the full portfolio in-house within your first three months.
• Every run and filing is on time and right first time.
• You’ve built a consistent, well-documented service across all clients.
• Clients see you as their go-to for payroll.

What we offer

Salary range between £34,000 and £38,000 gross - or £20,400 to £22,800 calculated pro rate on the basis of 0.6 FTE. Statutory pension entitlement, pro rata entitlement to 25 day holiday allowance plus bank holidays, flexible/remote working, CIPP/CPD support, other benefits.

Equal opportunities

Practice is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from everyone. We’ll make reasonable adjustments at any stage, so just ask. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. This job description is not contractual and may be updated in consultation with the postholder.