Payroll and Flexible Benefits Team Leader (FTC until 31st March 2027) in London

This role is graded as: Lead Associate - Corporate

Your external recruitment contact is Raimonda via raimonda.stankute@fca.org.uk. Your internal recruitment contact is Lauren via Lauren.McHale@fca.org.uk.

Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.

About the FCA and team: We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth and shaping the future of UK finance services.

The HR Delivery team ensures the timely and accurate processing of the payroll on a monthly basis, alongside managing our flexible benefits offering. We have a third-party provider which processes our payroll and we are responsible for providing the information to both them and our flexible benefits provider. Reporting to the Senior Manager in the HR Delivery Team, you will lead a team of 2 responsible for the accurate and timely delivery of our monthly payroll to circa 4000 employees. You will support all internal processes to ensure we compile accurate templates to send to our external payroll managed service provider and our flexible benefits provider.

Role responsibilities:

• Contract & Supplier Management: Oversee key business-critical contracts, including payroll providers and benefits administrators, ensuring effective procurement and supplier relationship management.
• Payroll & Benefits Oversight: Manage payroll, flexible benefits budgeting, forecasting, and invoicing in collaboration with Finance, ensuring financial accuracy.
• Benefits Strategy & Renewal: Act as HR subject matter expert on our benefits retender project. Develop and implement the flexible benefits strategy, engaging with HR and business stakeholders, and leading the annual benefits renewal process.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Establish documented business processes, implement controls to reduce risks, and work closely with Internal Audit to ensure payroll and pension administration integrity.
• Operational Excellence & Reporting: Ensure timely payroll and pension processing, accurate data transfers with outsourced providers, and produce management reports for oversight.
• Team Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Manage a small team, liaise with HMRC on tax matters, resolve escalated payroll issues and provide technical expertise on complex payroll topics.

Skills required:

• Minimum: In-depth and up to date UK payroll, pensions and benefits experience.
• People management experience within a payroll team.
• Process improvement and payroll project experience.
• Essential: Significant previous experience processing high-volume monthly payrolls.
• Significant previous experience managing a benefits offer, strategically and operationally.
• A good understanding of UK PAYE legislation.
• Ability to calculate deductions such as overpayments, maternity payments, sickness payments, Tax and National Insurance.
• Experience of developing and updating effective management information.
• Ability to carry out pay period and year end processes essential for statutory and other returns, ensuring deductions are reconciled and all 3rd party payments are reconciled.
• Experience of engaging effectively with stakeholders at all levels across a complex organisation.

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary.
• Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection and 24/7 Employee Assistance.
• 35 hours of paid volunteering annually.
• Hybrid model where employees work a minimum of 40% in the office each month (expectation of 50% for senior leaders). Changing from September to a minimum of 50% in the office each month (expectation of 60% for Directors and Executive Directors).
• A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle.

Our values and culture: Our colleagues are the key to our success as a regulator. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture: one that’s free from discrimination and bias, celebrates difference and supports colleagues to deliver at their best. We believe that our differences and similarities enable us to be a better organisation – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation and delivers better regulation. If you require any adjustments due to a disability or condition, your recruiter is here to help - reach out for tailored support. We welcome diverse working styles and aim to find flexible solutions that suit both the role and individual needs, including options like part-time and job sharing where applicable.

Disability confident: our hiring approach: We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high application volumes we may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements.

Useful information and timelines:

• Job advert closes: 11:59pm, Sunday 23rd August 2026.
• CV Review/Shortlist: Monday 24th August 2026.
• Interview: Thursday 27th August 2026.

Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.