Payroll and Benefits Manager

6 month FTC - £100,000 plus benefits

Central London, Hybrid – 3 days per week in the office

Please note – candidates need to be available to start within 2 weeks.

Role Purpose

The Compensation & Benefits Partner is responsible for the design, delivery, and governance of compensation and benefits programmes, with a particular focus on managing third-party payroll and benefits providers and ensuring accurate, timely integration between benefits and payroll data and systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Global Payroll and Benefit Process and Model
  • Review of current Global model, payroll providers and internal processes.
  • Establish a Group approach and payroll model that can be easily maintained and reduce exposure to risks.
  • Manage third party payroll providers across the Group accurately, on time and within cost parameters whilst ensuring statutory and regulatory requirements are met.
• Payroll & Benefits Vendor Management
  • Relationship owner for third-party payroll and benefits providers, ensuring service delivery aligns with contractual obligations, agreed SLAs with regular check ins.
  • Manage day-to-day operational performance of providers, including issue resolution, escalation management, and continuous improvement.
  • Lead vendor governance activities, including service reviews, audits, and performance reporting.
  • Support selection, onboarding, and transition of payroll and benefits providers when needed.
  • Documentation of internal process to always enable business continuity.
  • Verification of process documentation held by third parties, so it aligns with internal process change and enables provision of a stable, error free service.
• Payroll and Benefits Integration & Data Management
  • Own the end-to-end connection between benefits administration and payroll to ensure accurate benefit deductions, contributions, and taxation.
  • Oversee data flows between HR, benefits, and payroll systems, ensuring timely, complete, and validated data transfers.
  • Partner with providers and internal stakeholders to resolve data discrepancies and prevent future payroll errors.
  • Define and maintain governance frameworks to ensure data accuracy, reconciliation, and audit readiness.
• Compensation & Benefits Operations
  • Manage and continually improve processes that deliver benefits programmes such as signups, leavers, changes and value increases eg: on risk benefits.
  • Continually monitor benefit policies and eligibility rules to ensure they are correctly implemented and maintained.
  • Support the annual compensation cycle, including salary reviews, bonus payments and renewals.
• Reporting, Controls & Compliance
  • Develop and maintain rigorous checks for payroll and benefit input and payroll reporting for internal, financial, and legislative purposes.
  • Produce and validate management information, reconciliations, and variance analysis across payroll and benefits data.
  • Ensure compliance with UK payroll, tax, and benefits legislation (eg: pension auto-enrolment, PAYE, benefits in-kind, short-term visitors).
  • Support internal and external audits by providing documentation, controls evidence, and action planning for any issues identified.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in compensation and benefits with hands-on exposure to managing changes which affect payroll.
• Proven experience managing third-party payroll and benefits providers, providing challenge and driving efficiencies.
• Strong understanding of benefit interaction with payroll, tax, and reporting requirements.
• High attention to detail with a strong control and data-accuracy mindset.
• Excellent stakeholder management and vendor-management skills.
• Experience in multi-country or complex organisational environments.

Desirable

• Experience working with HRIS, payroll, and benefits platforms and managing system integrations.
• Knowledge of UK statutory payroll and benefits frameworks.
• Experience supporting system implementations or provider transitions.
• Background in reporting, reconciliations, or financial controls.

Personal Attributes

• Analytical, structured, and solutions-focused.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels.
• Strong communicator, able to explain technical concepts clearly.
• Proactive and resilient in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.