Director, UK Payroll Operations

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.

Responsibilities:

• 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.
• Use data to identify risk and drive intervention for UK Payroll Compliance.
• Lead resolution of complex, escalated, or high-impact payroll issues.
• Develop departmental reporting that gives leadership and clients clear visibility of performance and risk.
• 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.
• 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:

• 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:

• 25 basic holidays with the option to grow up to 30 with service, birthday off, and bank holidays.
• Flexible working hours and hybrid working environments.
• Wellness activities and pampering included, with gym subscription discounts.
• Laptop and equipment provided.
• Healthcare expense claim tools.
• Annual meet ups.
• Enhanced parenting scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan provided.
• Pension and life insurance options available.
• On demand pay tools enabling you to access salary even before the end of the month.

All personal data provided by you in your application will be processed by Fourth LTD solely for our recruitment purposes. More information on Fourth LTD's privacy policy for job candidates is available here and by applying you confirm that you have read it. 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.