Payroll Team Leader in Islington

Are you looking for new challenges and personal growth within Coca-Cola Europacific Partners? Then we have a great opportunity for you! Do you have a personality with the power to influence and connect? Can you sustain the pace to keep on growing? Will you make an impact with your desire to win?

Payroll Team Leader Location: Uxbridge, UK (Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office) Contract: 12-Month Fixed-Term Contract Salary and Benefits: Up to £45,000 p.a, plus a competitive benefits package including a DC pension with up to 12% employer contributions, private medical cover through BUPA, a share match scheme, a subsidised restaurant and free parking.

We're looking for an experienced Payroll Team Leader to join our People Services team on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is a great opportunity to bring your payroll expertise to a well-known global business, lead and support a small team, and help shape how we continue to deliver a reliable, high-quality payroll service.

This is a hands-on leadership role, ideal for an experienced payroll professional who enjoys staying close to the detail while creating a positive and supportive environment for their team. You'll take ownership of the end-to-end payroll process for approximately 4,000 UK employees, helping to ensure colleagues are paid accurately and on time while improving the way we work.

This 12-month contract offers the chance to build valuable experience in a large, fast-paced payroll environment, with real scope to influence service delivery, support a great employee experience and contribute to practical improvements.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead the end-to-end processing of UK payrolls, ensuring activity is delivered accurately, in line with compliance requirements and to monthly deadlines.
• Manage, support and develop a small team of Payroll Administrators, providing coaching that supports performance, development and wellbeing.
• Act as an escalation point for complex payroll queries, providing clear and professional guidance to employees, managers and internal stakeholders.
• Complete payroll validation checks, reconciliations, audits and controls to support accurate and well-managed payroll delivery.
• Work closely with our payroll provider, ADP, and colleagues across People & Culture, Finance, Legal and Business Technology to deliver a seamless employee experience.
• Use payroll data, performance metrics and insight to identify issues, improve processes and support effective decision-making.
• Lead practical improvement initiatives, including the responsible and ethical use of automation to improve accuracy, efficiency and service delivery.
• Support payroll-related reward administration, fleet-related payroll activities and other payroll projects as required.
• Deputise for the Payroll Manager in their absence when needed.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who combines strong payroll expertise with a proactive, collaborative and customer-focused approach and a growth mindset.

Essential Experience

• Typically 3 years' experience managing end-to-end UK payroll processes, with strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, statutory requirements and payroll compliance.
• Experience managing large and complex payrolls, ideally supporting payrolls of 1,200 employees.
• Experience working with payrolls that support seasonal or fluctuating workforce populations.
• Strong working knowledge of payroll systems and external payroll providers.
• Confidence using payroll data to identify issues, improve processes and support informed decision-making.
• Proven track record of implementing continuous improvement initiatives and leveraging technology and automation safely and effectively.
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting principles, reconciliations and controls.
• Intermediate Excel skills, with confidence working with payroll data, reporting and analysis.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build relationships across a variety of stakeholders and explain complex payroll matters clearly.

What Will Help You Succeed in This Role

You'll thrive in this role if you are:

• A hands-on payroll professional who enjoys being actively involved in payroll delivery.
• Naturally curious, with a mindset focused on continuous improvement.
• Able to spot potential issues before they become problems and take ownership of finding solutions.
• Comfortable balancing detailed payroll administration with leadership responsibilities.
• Flexible and adaptable, willing to support the wider team where needed.
• Confident working independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Committed to delivering an excellent employee experience and outstanding customer service.
• Confident completing payroll validation, reconciliations, exception handling and manual calculations as needed.
• Passionate about supporting and developing others while creating a positive, inclusive team environment.

We Encourage You to Apply

We understand that no candidate will meet every single requirement listed. If your experience is closely aligned with the role and you're excited by the opportunity, we'd encourage you to apply. We value potential, diverse experiences and different perspectives alongside technical expertise.

Why Join Us?

At Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, you'll join a collaborative People Services team focused on delivering a reliable, high-quality service and a positive employee experience. This is an opportunity to take ownership, contribute to meaningful improvements and help support approximately 4,000 employees across the UK. If you're ready to bring your payroll expertise and people leadership skills to a business with iconic brands and a collaborative culture, we'd love to hear from you.