A well-established international business is looking to appoint an experienced Payroll Lead to take ownership of payroll activity across a number of UK and international entities.
This is a broad, hands-on role sitting within Finance and would suit someone who enjoys having real ownership of payroll rather than simply working on one part of the process.
You will work closely with Finance, HR and external payroll providers, ensuring payrolls are delivered accurately and on time while also taking responsibility for the financial controls, reconciliations and reporting that sit around them.
The role offers a good mix of payroll operations, accounting, compliance and process improvement, with exposure across multiple countries.
You will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing payroll activity across the UK and a number of overseas locations, working with third-party payroll providers and internal stakeholders.
Your responsibilities will include:
Managing the end-to-end payroll process across multiple entities and countries
Reviewing payroll outputs and ensuring accuracy before submission
Managing relationships with outsourced payroll providers
Preparing and posting payroll journals
Completing payroll reconciliations and resolving discrepancies
Supporting month-end reporting and payroll-related accruals
Managing PAYE, National Insurance, pensions and other UK payroll requirements
Supporting P11D, PSA and other statutory payroll processes
Maintaining strong payroll controls and approval processes
Supporting payroll audits and ensuring appropriate documentation is maintained
Reviewing payroll data and identifying anomalies or variances
Supporting bonus and other variable-pay processes
Improving payroll processes, controls and reporting
Helping to standardise procedures across different locations
Supporting payroll system changes, new entities and wider Finance projects
This role would suit an experienced payroll professional who is comfortable working across both payroll operations and payroll accounting.
You are likely to have:
At least 5 years' payroll experience
Strong UK payroll knowledge
Experience working with multi-country or international payrolls
Experience managing outsourced payroll providers
Good knowledge of PAYE, National Insurance and pensions
Experience preparing payroll journals and reconciliations
Strong Excel skills
Experience working within a larger or international organisation
Strong attention to detail and a good understanding of financial controls
Experience with payroll systems, ERP platforms or payroll transformation projects would be useful, although the business is open-minded on specific systems.
This is a good opportunity for someone who wants broader ownership than a traditional payroll processing role.
You will have visibility across a number of international payrolls, work closely with senior Finance and HR stakeholders and have the opportunity to improve how payroll processes operate across the business.
The company is looking for someone proactive, organised and confident enough to take ownership, investigate issues and improve processes rather than simply follow an established routine.
Please note that this position is fully office-based in Hertfordshire, five days per week.
Salary: £50,000 - £55,000
Location: Hertfordshire | Salary: £50000 - £55000 per year | Job type: Permanent | Posted: 07/09/2026
Send a CV or a short message. If it’s not the right fit, I’ll tell you quickly.