Senior Payroll Manager

Berkley Group; Kilkenny; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Berkley Group seeks an experienced Senior Payroll Manager to lead a two-manager and specialist payroll team within a growing outsourced payroll function in Kilkenny. This senior role delivers multi-client payrolls, ensuring compliance with Irish payroll legislation and Revenue requirements while maintaining strong client relationships.

The successful candidate will drive payroll improvements, automation and system implementations across the portfolio, collaborating with HR, Finance and IT to

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years' payroll experience.
• 3-5 years in payroll management/senior leadership.
• Significant experience outsourcing payroll services for multiple external clients.
• IPASS qualification is essential.
• A third-level qualification in Payroll, HR, Finance or related discipline.
• Expert knowledge of Irish payroll legislation, compliance and payroll best practice.
• Experience leading and developing payroll teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead two Payroll Managers and a wider team of Payroll Specialists, driving performance and development.
• Oversee the accurate and timely delivery of multiple client payrolls with SLAs.
• Manage your own portfolio of clients and act as a senior escalation point for complex payroll matters.
• Ensure full compliance with Irish payroll legislation, Revenue requirements and statutory obligations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external clients, providing senior payroll guidance.
• Manage KPIs, workload, resource planning and service quality.
• Lead payroll system implementations and transformation projects.
• Work with HR, Finance, IT and the wider business.
• Support budgeting, resource planning and cost management within payroll.
• Contribute to client proposals, pricing and business development opportunities.

Education

IPASS qualification - essential

Third-level qualification in Payroll/HR/Finance

Job description

Senior Payroll Manager

Location: Kilkenny | Blended Working
Level: Senior Management
Sector: Professional Services / Outsourced Payroll

We are seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Manager to lead a well-established outsourced payroll function within a growing professional services organisation. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for two Payroll Managers and a wider team of Payroll Specialists, while also managing a portfolio of clients. The successful candidate must have significant experience delivering outsourced/multi-client payroll services and strong knowledge of Irish payroll legislation and compliance. This role is specifically suited to an experienced payroll leader from a payroll bureau, accountancy practice, professional services firm or outsourced payroll environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop two Payroll Managers and a wider team of Payroll Specialists, driving performance, engagement and professional development.


• Oversee the accurate and timely delivery of multiple client payrolls, ensuring agreed SLAs and service standards are consistently achieved.


• Manage your own portfolio of clients and act as a senior escalation point for complex payroll matters.


• Ensure full compliance with Irish payroll legislation, Revenue requirements and statutory obligations.


• Build and maintain strong relationships with external clients, providing senior-level payroll guidance and ensuring high levels of client satisfaction and retention.


• Manage operational performance, including KPIs, workload, resource planning and service quality.


• Lead payroll improvement initiatives including automation, process optimisation and technology adoption.


• Lead or contribute to payroll system implementations and transformation projects.


• Work closely with senior internal stakeholders across HR, Finance, IT and the wider business.


• Support budgeting, resource planning and cost management within the payroll function.


• Contribute to client proposals, pricing and business development opportunities.

Essential Experience

• 8-10+ years' payroll experience, including at least 3-5 years in payroll management/senior leadership.


• Significant experience managing outsourced payroll services for multiple external clients.


• IPASS qualification - essential.


• A third-level qualification in Payroll, HR, Finance or a related discipline.


• Expert knowledge of Irish payroll legislation, compliance and payroll best practice.


• Demonstrable experience leading and developing payroll teams, ideally including Payroll Managers or Team Leads.


• Experience managing complex payroll issues and acting as a senior escalation point.


• Proven experience delivering payroll system implementations, automation, transformation or significant process-improvement projects.


• Strong external client and stakeholder management experience.


• Experience working to SLAs and monitoring operational performance/KPIs.


• Strong commercial awareness with an understanding of client service, retention and growth.

Who This Role Will Suit

This opportunity is particularly relevant to candidates currently working as a: Senior Payroll Manager | Payroll Services Manager | Head of Payroll | Payroll Operations Manager | Payroll Bureau Manager | Senior Manager - Payroll The strongest candidates will come from an outsourced payroll, payroll bureau, accountancy practice or professional services environment where they have been responsible for multiple client payrolls and the leadership of a sizeable payroll team. Please note: Candidates whose experience is predominantly processing or managing a single organisation's internal payroll, without substantial outsourced/multi-client payroll experience, are unlikely to meet the requirements of this position.