Payroll Team Lead

The Methodist Church in Britain; West Malling; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee discounts on shopping, travel

Healthcare and financial benefits

Career progression into management

Monthly reflective practice and CPD

Expert supervision and peer support

Job summary

Cygnet Health Care is seeking a Payroll Team Lead to manage and contribute to end-to-end payroll processing, ensuring accuracy across pay cycles and HMRC submissions. The role includes supervising the payroll team, providing CPD support, and maintaining payroll calendars within a hybrid office pattern.

You will mentor staff, perform first-line checks on payroll runs, and escalate issues while supporting system-wide payroll calculations across acquisitions.

Qualifications

• Experience in end-to-end payroll processing.
• Ability to mentor and train staff.
• Experience with HMRC submissions and tax codes.

Responsibilities

• Support end-to-end payroll cycle, including hands-on processing.
• First-line review of main payroll runs for accuracy.
• HMRC submissions and FPS/EPS processing.
• Mentor the team with CPD and hold weekly 1:1s.
• Cover colleagues during absence and peak periods.
• Maintain payroll calendars and review controls.

Skills

Payroll processing

Team leadership

CPD mentoring

Attention to detail

Tools

Payroll software

Job description

This Payroll Team Lead post sits in Cygnet Health Care's payroll team, which supports a provider of mental health, autism and learning disability services. The work centres on running the end-to-end payroll cycle, first-line checks on main runs, HMRC submissions and guiding the team day to day. Payroll is complex after several acquisitions, and the role spans pay and pension, with hybrid working across two office days a week.

What the job involves

• Support the end-to-end payroll cycle, including hands-on processing where needed
• First-line review of main payroll runs for accuracy
• Support system-wide calculations, transfers between payroll companies and payroll number allocation for re-hires
• Identify and report over- and underpayments to the Payroll Manager, with evidence
• Support HMRC communications, including tax code downloads and FPS and EPS submissions
• Assist with closing payroll cycles and report running
• Complete manual systems backups on the agreed schedule
• Mentor and support the team with training and CPD, and hold weekly one-to-ones
• Escalate performance issues and training needs, flag staff performing above expectations, and give positive feedback
• Cover colleagues during absence and critical processing
• Support the Payroll Team Manager with requests and escalations in the payroll portal
• Maintain payroll calendars and review controls, recommending improvements

What’s required

Experience

• Experienced in payroll

What’s offered

• Pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discounts on shopping, travel and leisure
• Healthcare and financial benefits
• Career progression into management roles
• Monthly reflective practice and CPD support
• Expert supervision and peer support