Payroll Manager, EMEA

Light & Wonder; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

Private Medical Insurance

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Cycle to work scheme

Remote GP Access

Job summary

Light & Wonder in London or Manchester is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead payroll operations across a complex EMEA landscape, delivering accurate payroll for 1,000 employees across 15 countries and 19 entities.

You'll partner with People Capabilities, Finance, ICPs and ADP, drive improvements, coach the team, and ensure compliance with local legislation. The role can be based at Chiswick with two onsite days or Manchester with four onsite days.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading monthly payroll for 1000+ employees across multiple countries.
• Strong knowledge of UK and European payroll legislation and governance.
• Experience with outsourced providers and in-country partners (ICPs).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end monthly payroll for 15 European countries, including the UK.
• Partner with People Capabilities, Finance, ICPs and external providers for seamless delivery.
• Act as primary contact for outsourced payroll providers, ensuring timely processing.
• Ensure payroll queries are resolved via established service processes and Jira records.
• Collaborate with ICPs across countries to ensure compliance with local legislation.

Skills

Payroll management

UK & EU payroll legislation

ADP Celergo experience

Excel advanced

Stakeholder management

Process improvement

Leadership

Education

CIPP qualification advantageous

Tools

Jira

Payroll software (ADP)

ADP Celergo system

Job description

Light & Wonder’s corporate team is comprised of incredible talent that works across the enterprise, defying boundaries to provide essential services in an extraordinary manner to ensure the success of the organization and the well-being of employees.

Position Summary

We’re excited to offer an opportunity for an experienced Payroll Manager to join our team in London or Manchester. In this role, you’ll lead payroll operations across a complex EMEA landscape, overseeing payroll delivery for 1000 employees across 15 countries and 19 legal entities.

Working closely with People Capabilities, Finance, In-Country Partners (ICPs) and our payroll provider, ADP, you’ll ensure payroll is delivered accurately, compliantly and on time, while driving continuous improvement across processes and systems.

As a member of the Regional Finance Leadership Team, you’ll have the opportunity to influence broader business initiatives, build strong stakeholder relationships and help shape the future of payroll operations across the region.

We’re looking for someone who thrives in a fast-paced international environment, enjoys solving complex challenges and is passionate about delivering an exceptional employee experience.

We’re looking for people who are full of ideas, want to challenge the norm and live our core values:

• Dare to be Bold – We always bring courage to work to reach for the unbelievable.
• Uphold Integrity – We promote accountability and respect to raise the bar for ourselves and the industry.
• Never Settle – We relentlessly push forward to create the extraordinary in every detail.
• Celebrate Perspectives – We combine diverse talent to look at the familiar in unfamiliar ways.
• Win as a Team – We bring out the best in each other to share collective success.

What You'll Do

• Lead the end-to-end monthly payroll process across 15 European countries, including the UK, Spain, Greece and Bulgaria.
• Build strong partnerships between People Capabilities, Finance, In-Country Partners (ICPs) and external payroll providers to ensure seamless payroll delivery and timely issue resolution.
• Act as the primary point of contact for outsourced payroll providers, including ADP, managing service delivery and ensuring payroll processing is completed accurately and on schedule.
• Ensure payroll queries are effectively managed and resolved through established service processes, maintaining accurate Jira records, monitoring trends and driving improvements to enhance employee experience and service delivery.
• Collaborate with ICPs across each supported country to ensure compliance with local legislation, regulatory requirements and payroll best practices.
• Ensure payroll activities are completed accurately, efficiently and in compliance with local legislative requirements.
• Oversee the production, review and verification of payroll data and payslips for more than 500 employees across the region.
• Validate payroll outputs provided by ADP Celergo and support payroll-related balance sheet reconciliations.
• Monitor payroll controls, identify risks and implement improvements to strengthen accuracy, compliance and efficiency.
• Support Regional Finance initiatives as a member of the Regional Finance Leadership Team.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, systems and ways of working across the region.
• Coach, mentor and develop team members, fostering a collaborative and high‑performing culture.

What You'll Bring

• Experience managing payroll operations within a complex, multi‑entity international organisation supporting a geographically dispersed workforce.
• Proven experience overseeing payroll delivery across multiple countries, legal entities and employment models within the EMEA region.
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers, including ADP Celergo, and coordinating payroll activity through In‑Country Partners (ICPs).
• Proven knowledge of UK and European payroll legislation, compliance requirements and payroll governance.
• Experience processing off‑cycle payrolls, salary adjustments and payroll corrections.
• Knowledge and experience of Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) processing and associated payroll and tax implications.
• Understanding of UK pension administration, reporting and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication skills with a proven ability to build effective relationships and influence stakeholders across Finance, People Capabilities, external providers and senior leadership teams.
• Analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a structured approach to identifying and resolving issues.
• Experience creating, maintaining and continuously improving Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and payroll process documentation across multiple countries, ensuring consistency, compliance and knowledge sharing across teams and providers.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including reporting, reconciliations, data analysis, calculations and payroll reporting.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, including PowerPoint, with the ability to create clear reports, presentations and insights for a variety of stakeholders.
• Experience leveraging technology and digital tools, including Microsoft Copilot, to improve productivity, reporting and process efficiency.
• Proven experience driving change, continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience coaching, mentoring and motivating team members to achieve shared goals.
• A proactive, self‑motivated and collaborative approach to work.

Qualifications

• CIPP qualification is advantageous

How You'll Grow

• Expand your international payroll expertise by overseeing payroll operations across 15 countries, multiple legal entities and a diverse EMEA workforce of approximately 1,000 employees.
• Drive transformation and continuous improvement, influencing payroll processes, systems and service delivery across the region.
• Develop your leadership and strategic impact through partnerships with senior Finance, HR, PSC teams, ICPs and external payroll providers.

We recognise that flexibility matters. This role can be based from either our Chiswick office, with two days per week onsite, or our Manchester headquarters, with four days per week onsite. Occasional travel between locations will provide valuable opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and contribute to projects across our UK business.

What can we offer you?

• Annual performance bonus
• 1 day paid leave to work on charitable projects
• 1 day paid for personal celebration e.g. birthdays
• Half Day for Health (encouraging you to take time away for you & your wellbeing)
• Up to 8% employer pension contributions
• A reward platform offering a cycle to work scheme and shopping and lifestyle discounts/cashback
• Remote GP Access alongside a wellbeing platform
• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Please note, we are unable to sponsor visas at this time. If you require visa sponsorship now or in the future we will not be able to progress with your application.

This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive; it is intended to identify major responsibilities and requirements of the job. The employee in this position may be requested to perform other job-related tasks and responsibilities than those stated above.