Payroll Specialist - London

Marks Sattin (UK) Ltd; London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consumer retail business in Central London is seeking a Payroll Specialist for a 6-month fixed-term contract. This role involves overseeing payroll operations for thousands of colleagues globally and leading the transition to the Dayforce system. Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of payroll experience, strong people management skills, and recent hands-on experience with Dayforce. Immediate availability is required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of payroll experience in a large organization.
• Track record of developing teams and individuals.
• Experience in global payroll operations.

Responsibilities

• Support the Global Payroll Manager in the rollout of Dayforce.
• Champion continuous improvement and process reviews.
• Manage relationships with international payroll bureaus.

Skills

Payroll experience

People management

Interpersonal skills

Dynamic environment adaptability

Communication skills

Tools

Dayforce

Job description

Payroll Specialist - London

We are seeking a Payroll Specialist for a 6-month fixed-term contract within a leading consumer retail business based in Central London. In this role, you will be responsible for delivering payroll operations across the group while supporting the transition to a new payroll system (Dayforce) and updated processes. The role covers payroll for several thousand colleagues across the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the Global Payroll Manager in the global rollout of the Dayforce system, leading training and transition efforts for the payroll team.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, reviewing processes, systems, and ways of working, and incorporating external best practices. This may include team restructuring.
• Provide critical support for new business initiatives that impact payroll processes and systems.
• Lead the update of payroll team policies and procedures to reflect the new system and processes.
• Manage relationships with international payroll bureaus to ensure service delivery, compliance with local regulations, and optimal value to the Group.
• Ensure the team's learning and development needs are met through goal setting, coaching, and constructive feedback.
• Oversee team workload, identify future resourcing needs, and support recruitment efforts.
• Ensure effective onboarding of new team members.
• Support the review and implementation of an enhanced benefits offering.
• Prepare payroll-related journal entries and assist in reconciling payroll balance sheet accounts.

About You:

• 10+ years of payroll experience in a large, international organisation.
• Proven people management skills with a track record of developing teams and individuals.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic environment, managing competing priorities, and driving change.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Background in retail or hospitality (high-volume environments preferred).
• Experience with global payroll operations.
• Recent, hands-on experience with the Dayforce platform.

To be considered for the role, candidates must be available to start the role immediately.

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