Payroll & Benefits Associate Director
Posted 1 day ago by Totaljobs
£100,000 Per year
Outside
Hybrid
East London (E1)
Summary: The role of Interim Associate Director, Payroll & Benefits involves leading the payroll and benefits function for approximately 1,400 employees within a professional services organization. This position is a 12-month fixed-term contract with the potential for a permanent opportunity, focusing on optimizing payroll processes and systems while managing a team of six. The role requires collaboration with senior stakeholders across Finance and HR to ensure compliance and drive transformation initiatives. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the payroll and benefits strategy of the organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the Payroll and Benefits function, managing a team of six
- Oversee the accurate and timely processing of multiple monthly payrolls
- Ensure compliance across payroll, pensions and benefits
- Drive optimisation of Workday and payroll-related systems
- Identify and deliver process improvements and transformation initiatives
- Evaluate and implement a benefits platform
- Support annual bonus, LTIP and salary review processes
- Produce payroll reporting, including gender and ethnicity pay gap data
- Partner closely with HR and Finance to deliver a best-in-class service
Key Skills:
- Significant experience leading payroll and benefits within a complex organisation
- Strong technical expertise in UK payroll legislation, pensions and compliance
- Proven experience delivering payroll transformation and process improvement
- Advanced Workday knowledge and systems optimisation experience
- A supportive, resilient and collaborative leadership style
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
- Strong Excel and analytical skills
- Experience implementing a benefits platform would be advantageous
Salary (Rate): £100000 yearly
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: outside IR35
Seniority Level: Senior
Industry: Other
Interim Associate Director, Payroll & Benefits
12 mnth FTC with the potential of a permanent opportuity afterwards
Up to £100,000 + Discretionary Bonus + Excellent Benefits
Canary Wharf, London - 4 days in the office, 1 day from home
Oakleaf Partnership are partnering with a highly regarded and well-established professional services organisation to recruit an interim Associate Director, Payroll & Benefits on a 12 month FTC. This is a rare opportunity to step into a high-profile leadership role with genuine scope to shape the future of payroll and benefits within a complex and evolving business.
What the role is:
You will take overall responsibility for payroll, benefits and pensions for approximately 1,400 employees across multiple UK entities.
Leading a team of six, you will ensure the smooth and compliant delivery of several monthly payrolls covering both salaried and shift-based employees.
Alongside business-as-usual leadership, you will review and optimise Workday, strengthen controls and reporting, assess the current operating model and lead key projects, including the potential implementation of a new benefits platform.
This is a highly visible role that partners closely with senior stakeholders across Finance, HR and the wider business.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead the Payroll and Benefits function, managing a team of six
- Oversee the accurate and timely processing of multiple monthly payrolls
- Ensure compliance across payroll, pensions and benefits
- Drive optimisation of Workday and payroll-related systems
- Identify and deliver process improvements and transformation initiatives
- Evaluate and implement a benefits platform
- Support annual bonus, LTIP and salary review processes
- Produce payroll reporting, including gender and ethnicity pay gap data
- Partner closely with HR and Finance to deliver a best-in-class service
Significant experience leading payroll and benefits within a complex organisation
Strong technical expertise in UK payroll legislation, pensions and compliance
Proven experience delivering payroll transformation and process improvement
Advanced Workday knowledge and systems optimisation experience
A supportive, resilient and collaborative leadership style
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
Strong Excel and analytical skills
Experience implementing a benefits platform would be advantageous
Why join this organisation?
This is a business with a strong reputation, substantial investment and a clear commitment to modernising its people and finance infrastructure. Payroll is increasingly recognised as a strategic function, and this role offers the opportunity to make a real impact.
You will inherit a technically strong and dedicated team that is eager for leadership, direction and development. The business is open to fresh ideas and willing to invest in systems, technology and process improvements to create a best-in-class payroll and benefits function.
For someone who enjoys combining operational leadership with strategic transformation, this role offers the autonomy, visibility and support needed to deliver meaningful change.