Payroll, Service Delivery Manager, Manchester/Newcastle/Glasgow

EY UK; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

EY UK is seeking a Payroll Delivery Manager to lead end-to-end payroll services for a portfolio of clients across Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester and Belfast. You will oversee delivery, drive accuracy, and coordinate with global teams to ensure timely payroll processing and compliance.

The role requires strong UK payroll knowledge, leadership experience, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and client relationships in a fast-growing environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years hands-on payroll experience
• End-to-end payroll knowledge in high-volume environment
• Multi-country payroll compliance knowledge
• Statutory payments, deductions and pension contributions
• Understanding upstream/downstream payroll processes
• AE, RTI, Apprenticeship Levy knowledge
• Excel/IT skills
• High accuracy and attention to detail
• Workload management and deadlines
• Experience managing a team
• CIPP qualification preferred

Responsibilities

• End-to-end payroll processing for a portfolio of clients with timely and accurate payrolls
• Review payroll work before client delivery
• Advise on technical payroll matters (termination payments, payrolling of benefits, statutory payments)
• Handle client and team queries and escalations
• Manage team workloads and allocations
• Counselling staff including annual and in-year reviews
• Prepare client fee and budget details and ensure finance procedures compliance
• Approve BACS files for employee payments
• Auto-Enrolment compliance
• Coordinate with global payroll teams
• Set up and attend client meetings
• Develop additional payroll services for clients
• Work with implementation teams for smooth client transitions
• HMRC audit assistance
• Identify, manage, mitigate risks and issues
• Ensure adherence to Quality and Risk requirements
• Establish procedures for internal/external systems during client transitions
• Opportunity to be involved in pursuits

Skills

UK payroll expertise

Stakeholder management

Project and time management

Ownership mentality

Client engagement

Relationship building

Research and explanation

Client service delivery

Education

CIPP preferred

Tools

Excel

Job description

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go.

Join EY and help to build a better working world.

Payroll Delivery Manager - Newcastle Upon Tyne/Manchester/Belfast

The opportunity:

We are looking for driven and ambitious Payroll Delivery professionals who are keen to develop a challenging and stimulating career. As a Payroll Delivery Manager you will be responsible for delivery of high quality and timely payroll services to a portfolio of clients ranging in size and complexity.

This is an exciting role in our fast-growing UK Payroll Operate team. Payroll is a strategic growth driver for EY and therefore has senior leadership interest and support.

Your key responsibilities:

• Ultimate responsibility for the end to end payroll process for a portfolio of clients ensuring that the payrolls are processed and submitted each pay period in a timely and accurate manner
• Undertaking in-depth reviews of the work carried out by the payroll team prior to client delivery
• Advising on any technical payroll matters arising, such as termination payments, payrolling of benefits, statutory payments
• Dealing with client and team queries in relation to payroll operations and ensuring that escalation procedures are in place
• Managing team workloads and allocations
• Counselling of staff including annual and in year reviews
• Preparing client fee and budget details and ensuring the team comply with internal finance procedures
• Approving BACS files for the payment of employees
• Auto- Enrolment compliance
• Dealing with the global team to coordinate payroll offerings
• Set up and attending client meetings when required
• Developing additional services for payroll clients
• Work with the implementation teams to ensure the smooth transition of new payroll clients
• HMRC audit assistance
• Effectively identify, manage, resolve, and mitigate key risks and issues impacting the client
• delivery, and acting as a point of escalation.
• Understanding of and complying with Quality and Risk requirements for professional service firms
• Work with internal teams to ensure effective procedures are established for setup of internal and external systems, tools, and processes as part of the client transition process.
• There will be an opportunity to also be involved in pursuits if that is of interest to the candidate

Skills and attributes for success:

• Solid UK Payroll technical knowledge
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Demonstrable good project management and time management skills – balance multiple priorities by considering importance, level of urgency and other dependencies.
• A desire to take on responsibility
• Assertive and proactive approach to the delivery of client engagements
• Ability to network effectively within large organisations and build relationships with individuals and clients
• Ability to utilise research effectively and explain complex subjects in a clear manner
• Ability to build strong client relationships and committed to delivery of exceptional client service

To qualify for the role, you must have:

• Over 8+ years’ relevant hands‑on experience in Payroll
• End-to-end Payroll knowledge and experience is a must within a high-volume payroll business (a bureau environment would be beneficial)
• Expertise in understanding payroll compliance, rules, and legislations in a multi-country environment and with up-to-date knowledge
• Knowledge and hands on experience in Statutory payments/deductions and Pension contributions and their management
• Thorough understanding of upstream and downstream processes that impact Payroll.
• Good understanding of payroll compliance including AE, RTI, Apprenticeship Levy
• Good IT skills including experience of working with excel documents.
• A high level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Good workload management skills and an ability to work to deadlines
• Experience of managing a team
• Payroll qualifications e.g., Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) preferred

What we look for:

• Flexibility and good team working skills
• Strong in both written and verbal communications
• Highly organised with excellent customer service skills and comfortable in a client facing environment
• Strong IT skills and can adapt quickly to working with new technologies
• Proven capability to define, document and rollout procedures and processes across multiple departments and/or groups.
• Ability to work with internal/external customers globally and/or virtual basis
• Ability to support with the development of standard methodology, tools, and templates.

What working at EY offers:

We offer a competitive remuneration package where you’ll be rewarded for your individual and team performance. Our comprehensive Total Rewards package includes support for flexible working and career development, and with FlexEY you can select benefits that suit your needs, covering holidays, health and well-being, insurance, savings and a wide range of discounts, offers and promotions. Plus, we offer:

• Support, coaching and feedback from some of the most engaging colleagues around
• Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career
• The freedom and flexibility to handle your role in a way that’s right for you

About EY:

As a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, we’re using the finance products, expertise and systems we’ve developed to build a better working world. That starts with a culture that believes in giving you the training, opportunities and creative freedom to make things better. Whenever you join, however long you stay, the exceptional EY experience lasts a lifetime.

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.