Payroll Managed Services Team Leader in Manchester

The Payroll Managed Services Team Leader is responsible for leading and supporting a team of payroll professionals to deliver accurate, compliant and high-quality payroll services to clients. The role ensures operational performance, excellent client experience, effective resource management and continuous improvement across the managed services function.

Working closely with the Managed Services Team Manager, the Team Leader will provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and operational support to ensure payroll processing meets agreed service levels, quality standards and regulatory requirements.

Hours of work: 37.5 per week between 8am to 6pm

Day-to-day responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Team Leadership & People Management
  • Lead, motivate and support a team of Payroll Managed Services Advisors.
  • Provide day-to-day direction, prioritisation and workload management.
  • Conduct regular 1:1 meetings, coaching sessions and performance conversations.
  • Support team development through training, knowledge sharing and skills improvement.
  • Identify development opportunities and support career progression within the team.
  • Promote a positive, collaborative and high-performing team culture.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding and induction of new team members.
• Payroll Service Delivery
  • Ensure payroll services are delivered accurately, efficiently and within agreed deadlines.
  • Monitor team workload and proactively manage risks to payroll completion.
  • Support the resolution of complex payroll queries and escalations.
  • Ensure payroll processing follows agreed procedures, controls and compliance requirements.
  • Review payroll outputs and support quality assurance activity.
  • Ensure effective handovers and communication throughout the payroll cycle.
• Client Service & Stakeholder Management
  • Act as an escalation point for client payroll queries and service issues.
  • Build strong working relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.
  • Support service reviews and client meetings where required.
  • Identify opportunities to improve client experience and service delivery.
  • Work collaboratively with implementation, customer success and operational teams.
• Compliance & Quality Assurance
  • Ensure compliance with UK payroll legislation, HMRC requirements and internal policies.
  • Promote strong payroll controls and risk management practices.
  • Support audits, quality reviews and corrective action plans.
  • Identify trends, recurring issues and opportunities for process improvement.
  • Ensure team members maintain appropriate payroll knowledge and competency levels.
• Operational Performance & Continuous Improvement
  • Monitor team performance against agreed KPIs and service level agreements.
  • Produce and review operational reports and management information.
  • Identify process inefficiencies and recommend improvements.
  • Support implementation of new processes, systems and ways of working.
  • Contribute to wider payroll operational improvement initiatives.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Payroll accuracy and error rates
• Achievement of payroll deadlines and SLAs
• Client satisfaction scores
• Quality assurance results
• Team productivity and capacity management
• Reduction in payroll queries and rework
• Employee engagement and development
• Compliance with payroll controls and processes

Person Specification

Essential Experience

• Strong experience working within payroll operations.
• Experience managing or supervising a payroll team.
• Good understanding of UK payroll processes and legislation.
• Experience managing payroll workloads and competing priorities.
• Experience handling client queries and escalations.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to payroll accuracy.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within a payroll bureau or managed service environment.
• Experience supporting multiple client payrolls.
• Experience using payroll software platforms.
• Experience working within a service-driven or SaaS organisation.
• Experience supporting operational change and process improvement.

Skills & Competencies

• Leadership
  • Ability to coach, motivate and develop others.
  • Strong communication and influencing skills.
  • Ability to create a positive team environment.
• Payroll Expertise
  • Strong technical payroll knowledge.
  • Understanding of payroll legislation and compliance requirements.
  • Ability to review and challenge payroll processes.
• Customer Focus
  • Strong client service mindset.
  • Ability to manage expectations and resolve issues effectively.
• Operational Excellence
  • Strong organisational skills.
  • Ability to analyse data and identify trends.
  • Focus on continuous improvement and efficiency.
• Problem Solving
  • Confident managing complex payroll issues.
  • Ability to make sound decisions under pressure.

Qualifications

• Essential: Demonstrable payroll experience.
• Desirable: CIPP qualification or equivalent payroll qualification. Leadership or management qualification.

Key Relationships

• Internal: Managed Services Team Manager, Payroll Operations Team, Customer Success Team, Implementation Team, Sales and Commercial Teams, Finance and Compliance Teams.
• External: Payroll clients, HMRC and external payroll stakeholders (where required).

BrightHR Benefits

• Enhanced holidays – 25 days increasing to 27 after 2 years’ service and 28 after 5 years’ service.
• Private health care cover after 5 years’ service.
• New business referral scheme.
• Access to Health Shield.
• Access to the EAP service.
• Refer a friend scheme.
• Paid birthday leave.
• Pension scheme contribution increasing to 5% after 5 years’ service and again to 7% after 7 years’ service.
• Group life insurance.
• Eye care contribution.
• Free fruit (office-based staff).
• Travel Season Ticket loan scheme.
• Milestone recognition.
• Discounted products – Manchester City centre parking / First Bus Travel Club Membership / Microsoft Home User programme / Anglian Home Improvements.
• Pace health Club discounted gym membership and spa treatments.
• Park Inn 20% food and drink discount.
• New Century 20% food and drink discount.
• Revolution De Cuba 20% food and drink discount.
• Cycle 2 Work scheme after probationary period.
• On site Gym.
• Bright Exchange perks.

Values & Behaviours

• Living the company values of We care, We take action, we innovate, we inform, and we do the right thing.
• We lead by example and recognise those living our values.
• We drive the narrative by inspiring and engaging our team.
• We collaborate with rigor and embrace diversity of thought.
• We deliver with a united voice.
• We take ownership by staying close to team performance by Super Coaching and Walking the Walk.
• We keep our approach simple and stick to the playbook to deliver on promise.
• We think critically and commercially, assess the situation before jumping to the solution.

We are BrightHR; the only software powered by HR, health & safety, and legal experts. Everything you need to simply manage your staff, all in one place, PLUS free tools to set your business apart. We are on a mission to transform people management for businesses. We’ve been making life easier for employers since 2015 with our range of innovative software, providing HR, H&S, and business support to over 95,000 businesses globally. We are a people business. The market moves quickly and so do we. We put the customer first, working hard and always looking ahead, purposefully innovating to ensure peace of mind. BrightHR is an Equal Opportunity and Disability Confident Employer, committed to diversity and inclusion without regard to protected characteristics.