Job Description

12-14 month FTC position

Central London

Hybrid Working

Our client is seeking an experienced Payroll Team Leader to join their busy team on a 12-14 month FTC basis

Duties include;

Lead, motivate, and manage a payroll team to ensure high performance and engagement

Set clear objectives, priorities, and performance expectations for team members

Conduct regular 1:1 meetings, team meetings, and performance reviews

Provide coaching, mentoring, and development opportunities for team members

Foster a positive, collaborative, and accountable team culture

Allocate workloads effectively across the team based on skills and capacity

Monitor productivity and adjust resource allocation to meet deadlines

Manage team schedules, holidays, and cover to ensure continuous payroll operations

Track individual and team performance against KPIs and service levels

Address underperformance through structured improvement plans

Ensure consistent adherence to company policies and standards

Identify training needs and design development plans for team members

Deliver or coordinate payroll-related and soft skills training

Support onboarding and induction of new payroll staff

Encourage continuous learning and cross-training within the team

Act as the primary escalation point for payroll team queries

Assist with manual calculations and training on payroll legislation

Build strong relationships with HR, Finance, and external stakeholders

Communicate effectively with senior managers on payroll team performance and issues

Lead and implement process changes or system improvements within the team

Drive standardisation and best practices across payroll operations

Support the team through organisational or system changes

Ensure team adherence to payroll processes, policies, and compliance requirements

Oversee audit readiness and support the team during audits

Act as escalation point for complex payroll or team-related issues

Make informed decisions to resolve operational or people challenges

Maintain calm and effective leadership in high-pressure payroll cycles

Report on team performance, service levels, and key metrics

Communicate changes, priorities, and expectations clearly to the team

Encourage innovation, feedback, and proactive problem-solving

Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team

Lead by example in professionalism and valuesYou will have;

Strong leadership & team motivation - inspires, guides, and builds a high-performing, engaged team

Effective communication - clearly conveys information and manages relationships with team and stakeholders

People management & coaching - develops team members, handles performance, and supports growth

Organisation & decision-making - prioritises workloads, delegates effectively, and resolves issues confidently

Resilience & attention to detail - maintains accuracy and stays calm under pressure, especially during payroll cycles

Ability to complete manual calculations and strong payroll knowledge If you have all of the above, and you are keen to support a dynamic team and can commit to a 12-14 month FTC position, then please apply now

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