Payroll Professional

Colbern Limited; Walthamstow; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Generous annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Learning and development opportunities

Employee wellbeing support

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

Colbern Limited in Walthamstow is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead a dedicated payroll and pensions function supporting ~2,600 employees. You will own end-to-end payroll, ensure compliance, drive transformation and service improvements across the council’s payroll provision.

The role requires CIPP qualification or equivalent experience, strong knowledge of payroll legislation, taxation and pensions, and proven leadership in a large organisation. Hybrid working is available.

Qualifications

• CIPP qualification or extensive end-to-end payroll management experience.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, taxation, pensions, and statutory reporting.
• Experience leading payroll teams in large organisations.
• Experience with Oracle Payroll or similar enterprise system.
• Knowledge of Local Government or Teachers' Pension schemes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing payroll team.
• Ensure accurate, timely and compliant monthly payroll services.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Change management

Regulatory compliance

Analytical thinking

Education

CIPP qualification

Tools

Oracle Payroll

Job description

Payroll Manager

Walthamstow

Permanent

£54267 to £57402 per annum.

Our client is looking for an experienced Payroll Manager an experienced and forward-thinking Payroll Manager to lead our Payroll and function and help shape the future of payroll delivery across the Council.

This is a pivotal operational leadership role, sitting within Culture Workforce & Development department, where you will take ownership of payroll and pension services, ensuring the accurate, timely and compliant delivery of payroll for a workforce of approximately 2,600 employees.

You will act as the Council's subject matter expert on payroll and pension matters, making informed decisions, managing risk and serving as the key escalation point for complex issues.

Beyond operational excellence, this role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a significant transformation programme. You will play a leading role in modernising payroll processes, driving service improvements and supporting the future development of payroll provision.

About the Role

As the Payroll Manager, you will lead a dedicated team responsible for delivering a high-quality payroll and pensions service that supports employees throughout their employment journey.

You will oversee the end-to-end payroll process, ensuring compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements while delivering an efficient, customer-focused service. Working closely with senior leaders, HR, Finance, Pensions and external providers, you will build strong relationships that enable seamless service delivery and support organisational performance.

The successful candidate will be equally comfortable managing operational delivery, leading people, driving continuous improvement and influencing strategic change.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing Payroll team, creating a culture of accountability, customer focus and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the accurate, timely and compliant delivery of monthly payroll services.

CIPP Qualification or extensive experience managing an end-to-end payroll function within a large and complex organisation.

• Strong technical knowledge of payroll legislation, taxation, pensions and statutory reporting requirements.
• Experience of leading, coaching and developing payroll teams.
• Significant experience using Oracle Payroll or a comparable enterprise payroll system.
• Knowledge of Local Government and/or Teachers' Pension schemes.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and reconciliation skills.
• Experience of leading service improvements and change initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience within Local & Central Government. Other public sector organisations and private sector complex organisations experience are also welcomed.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Learning and development opportunities
• Employee wellbeing support
• Career progression opportunities within a forward-thinking organisation

Colbern Limited along with our clients are an equal opportunities employer