Payroll Operations Director in Cheshire, Macclesfield

Our Story In July 2019, Fourth joined forces with HotSchedules to become the global leader in end-to-end restaurant and hospitality management technology solutions. Together, the merged company now represents the world's largest and only provider of end-to-end restaurant and hospitality management solutions for customers across the globe and of all sizes, from a single location or franchisee restaurant to a global restaurant or hotel chain. The combined company's complete software-as-service (SaaS) solution suite including scheduling, time & attendance, applicant tracking, training, inventory management / procurement, HR / benefits and payroll services now serves customers in 120,000 locations worldwide and is supported by a dedicated, unified team across offices in the US, UK, Bulgaria, China, Australia, and UAE.

Position Overview Senior operational leadership role with full accountability for the quality, compliance, and performance of Fourth's UK payroll service delivery. This is a strategic position — the Director sets the direction for how the function operates, continuously raising the bar on service quality, efficiency, and team capability.

• Owns end-to-end payroll: accuracy, compliance, client service, technology, and team development
• Member of the EMEA operational leadership team — contributes to cross-functional strategy
• Senior point of contact for complex, escalated, or strategically significant payroll matters
• Directly manages the Payroll Leadership team

Primary Responsibilities Leadership & Team Development Lead and develop the Payroll Leadership team; ensure workload distribution and SLA delivery Coach, mentor, and performance-manage at all levels; build succession depth Set clear performance expectations tied to service quality and client outcomes Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement Lead the function through periods of change with minimal service disruption

• UK Payroll Compliance & Regulatory Governance Maintain Fourth's UK payroll compliance framework: PAYE, RTI, NI, statutory payments, auto-enrolment Oversee all year-end activities: P60s, P45s, P11Ds, Apprenticeship Levy Manage auto-enrolment compliance across all client groups, including The Pensions Regulator obligations Proactively monitor the regulatory landscape (HMRC policy, Employment Rights Act) and translate change into operational action Maintain strong internal controls: segregation of duties, audit trails, error detection

• Operational Excellence & Service Delivery Define, implement, and continuously improve payroll processing policies, procedures, and controls Own the end-to-end payroll delivery model — ensuring it is robust, documented, and resilient Monitor SLA performance across all client groups; use data to identify risk and drive intervention Lead resolution of complex, escalated, or high-impact payroll issues Develop departmental reporting that gives leadership and clients clear visibility of performance and risk

• Systems, Technology & Process Optimisation Provide operational leadership for payroll system implementation, maintenance, and enhancement Ensure effective integration of payroll-adjacent applications (time & attendance, self-service portals, client interfaces) Partner with Product and Technology to identify automation and standardisation opportunities Lead or contribute to payroll technology migrations, maintaining service continuity throughout Use system reporting to inform resourcing decisions and embed evidence-based management

• Client & Stakeholder Engagement Build and maintain senior client relationships; act as operational point of contact for escalations and complex matters Proactively engage clients to anticipate risk and ensure delivery meets or exceeds expectations Serve as Fourth's subject matter expert on UK payroll in client-facing conversations and commercial discussions Maintain strong cross-functional partnerships across HR, Finance, Product, Technology, and Sales

• Strategic Contribution Contribute to EMEA operational leadership: business planning, commercial decisions, UK service strategy Represent UK Payroll Operations in cross-functional forums and product roadmap discussions Partner with the SVP, EMEA and peer directors on org design, headcount planning, and investment prioritisation

Preferred Experience and/or Qualifications Essential Significant senior-level experience leading a UK payroll operations function Deep, current knowledge of UK payroll legislation: PAYE, RTI, National Insurance, statutory payments, auto-enrolment, HMRC compliance CIPP qualification (or equivalent demonstrable expertise) Proven ability to design and continuously improve payroll processes and internal controls at scale Experienced people leader — builds, develops, and holds accountable a payroll operations team Strong client-facing capability — comfortable engaging HR Directors, Finance leads, and senior stakeholders Analytically rigorous — uses data to manage operational risk and provide credible insight to leadership Technically proficient with payroll/HR systems; experience leading or contributing to technology implementations Strong cross-functional collaborator across Product, Technology, HR, and Finance

Desirable Experience in a SaaS, technology, or managed payroll bureau environment Familiarity with hospitality industry payroll complexity (variable hours, high volume) Experience with Fourth's technology, or comparable enterprise payroll platforms Experience managing payroll through significant regulatory change Demonstrable contribution to senior leadership or operational steering beyond the payroll function Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, HR, or related field; postgraduate qualification an advantage

Benefits Holidays. We all need to rest so you get 25 basic holidays with the option to grow up to 30 with service + your birthday off + bank holidays! Flexible working! Use our flexible working hours and hybrid working environments to manage it. On top of that, you can add gym subscription discounts. Healthcare expense claim tools! Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan provided. Pension and life insurance?

Fourth is an Equal Opportunity Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration without discrimination because of sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, age, national origin, military status, religion, or disability or any other legally protected status.