Senior Payroll Partner (12-month contract)
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Senior Payroll Partner at our Wakefield office!
This is a 12-month contract role to cover maternity leave.
We are looking for an experienced Senior Payroll Partner / Payroll Manager with excellent end-to-end payroll knowledge.
You will form part of the Global Payroll Team and will lead a small team of two direct reports.
Duties will include, but are not limited to, overseeing the processing of the monthly payroll for approximately 2,000 employees.
- You’ll need a good understanding of Excel, journal entries, and reconciliations. The software used is In-Pay, and experience using different payroll packages will be advantageous.
- We offer flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working. This will likely be two days in our Wakefield office (Tuesday and Wednesday) and three days working from home.
- This is a full-time, 35-hour-per-week role, but we may consider applicants who are looking for reduced hours or fewer days.
- We offer a competitive salary and great benefits.
We shortlist for our vacancies on an ongoing basis, and we may close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date. Please can you submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
At City & Guilds we recognise that an unconditional commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) is fundamental to delivering our purpose of helping people, organisations and economies develop the skill they need for growth, and this extends to all people, organisations and wider stakeholders we work with, wherever we work.
We feel that it is important that City & Guilds is an organisation that reflects the diversity of modern society and is an inclusive organisation that ensures that everyone is supported so that they can achieve their best.
We encourage and welcome applications from members of underrepresented communities.
City & Guilds are a Disability confident employer. Please let us know if you require any support/adjustments at your interview and if successful any adjustments needed to support you in your role. If this is required, please email; careers@cityandguilds.com
About the role
What you will be doing:
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Manage the end-to-end operation of UK and international payrolls within the central model, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, compliance, statutory filings, approvals, payments, and post-payroll processes.
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Lead the small team to deliver an excellent employee experience, resolving queries promptly and effectively.
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Own key external and internal relationships, acting as the main contact for outsourced providers, tax authorities (including HMRC), auditors, and senior Finance and People Team stakeholders.
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Support internal and external audits, ensuring full compliance with documentation and reporting requirements.
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Oversee pension scheme administration, including enrolments, leavers, reconciliations, submissions, and liaison with relevant internal teams and advisers.
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Ensure robust controls, standards, and compliance across all payroll activities, including legislative and GDPR requirements.
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Review and improve payroll processes, driving efficiency and leveraging automation and technology.
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Oversee payroll reconciliations and monthly journal preparation for Finance.
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Act as the escalation point for complex payroll queries, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
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Provide reporting and insights on payroll activities, identifying trends and opportunities for improvement.
About you
Attributes we are looking for:
- Experience of working within an in-house payroll function of a similar size and scale
- Experience in UK & International payroll processing
- Experience of leading/ overseeing a small team
- Ability to multitask and work to strict deadlines under pressure with a natural ability to prioritise under minimal supervision
- Demonstrable experience of Finance & Payroll process improvement
- Problem analysis and problem-solving skills
- Strong attention to detail and ability to quickly spot and act on things that don’t look right
- Strong stakeholder management skills and written and verbal communication ability
- Strong analytical skills and ability to maintain and manage high quality master data
- Level 3 Payroll qualifications - CIPP
Our story and mission
To find out more about City & Guilds please click on the following link:
What we offer
We offer the opportunity to work in an innovative, engaging and market-leading organisation with opportunities to develop your existing skills and explore new ones.
You’ll receive an excellent benefits package which typically includes a great base salary, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, pension, private healthcare, volunteering opportunities and much more.
We welcome a discussion about how this role could work flexibly for you. For example work pattern, hours or location.
Next steps and how to apply
If you think this is the role and organisation for you then we would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and complete our short application form using the apply button.