UK Payroll Team Lead

activpayroll Ltd.; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

activpayroll Ltd. is seeking a UK Payroll Team Lead in Scotland to oversee day-to-day payroll operations for a diverse client base. You will lead by example, combining technical payroll expertise with strong people leadership to deliver accurate, timely services.

You will also directly manage a portfolio of payrolls, provide coaching to team members, and act as an escalation point for complex queries. Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and excellent stakeholder management are essential.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in UK payroll processing and leadership roles.
• Deep understanding of UK payroll legislation and compliance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Attention to detail with proactive issue resolution.
• Strong systems and Excel skills with data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate a team of payroll administrators to deliver UK payrolls accurately and on time.
• Manage a portfolio of payrolls directly, ensuring high standards of service.
• Act as escalation point for complex payroll queries and client issues.
• Allocate client portfolios and workloads to balance capacity and service delivery.
• Coach and develop team members with regular feedback and mentoring.
• Lead client governance meetings and review performance for improvements.
• Review and sign off payrolls and governance documentation for compliance.
• Monitor KPIs and SLAs, identify risks, and implement mitigations.
• Drive process improvements and support new systems or tools.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, high-performing team culture.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Payroll processing

Stakeholder management

Communication

Excel

Education

CIPP qualification

Job description

UK Payroll Team Lead

Department: Operations

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Scotland

Reporting To: UK Payroll Operations Manager

Description

As a UK Payroll Team Lead, you’ll play a pivotal role in overseeing the day-to-day operations of our payroll function, ensuring the accurate and timely delivery of payroll services across a diverse client base. You’ll lead by example — combining technical expertise with people leadership to drive service excellence, support team development, and contribute to continuous improvement across the department.

In addition to leading the team, you’ll also manage a selection of payrolls directly, maintaining hands-on involvement and ensuring service quality

On a typical day you’ll be…

• Leading and coordinating a team of payroll administrators to deliver accurate, compliant, and timely UK payrolls
• Managing a portfolio of payrolls directly, ensuring high standards of accuracy, timeliness, and customer service
• Acting as an escalation point for complex payroll queries and client issues, ensuring swift and effective resolution
• Overseeing the allocation of client portfolios and workload across the team to ensure balanced capacity and consistent service delivery
• Supporting and coaching team members, providing regular feedback, mentoring, and development opportunities
• Hosting and contributing to client governance meetings, reviewing performance and identifying areas for improvement
• Reviewing and signing off payrolls, governance reports, and documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Monitoring service delivery KPIs and SLAs, identifying risks and proactively implementing mitigations
• Driving process improvements and supporting the implementation of new systems, tools, or ways of working
• Fostering a positive, inclusive, and high-performing team culture

Does this sound like you?

• Strong experience in UK payroll processing, ideally with a CIPP qualification and experience in a leadership or supervisory role
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a team in a fast-paced, service-driven environment
• Deep understanding of UK payroll legislation, compliance, and best practice
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills — confident in handling both client and internal conversations
• High attention to detail and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues
• Strong systems and Excel skills, with the ability to analyse data and drive insights
• A collaborative mindset, with a passion for continuous improvement and delivering exceptional service
• Comfortable balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on delivery of payrolls