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- Tasks: Lead payroll and pensions operations, ensuring compliance and driving service improvement.
- Company: Join a large, complex organisation focused on transformation and excellence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership role with influence, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a senior role with strategic responsibilities and team leadership.
- Qualifications: Senior-level experience in payroll and pensions, with strong leadership and technical skills.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a commitment to equality and diverse backgrounds.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
JGA are partnered with a large, complex organisation to recruit an experienced Head of Payroll & Pensions to lead a critical payroll and pensions function during a period of continued transformation and service improvement. This is a senior leadership role, responsible for high-volume payroll operations supporting pension administration. You'll act as the subject-matter expert across payroll and pensions, leading high-performing teams, managing key external providers, and ensuring full legislative and regulatory compliance in a highly governed environment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic leadership across payroll and pensions with full accountability for service delivery and compliance
- Lead, develop and motivate payroll and pensions teams, driving a high-performing culture
- Oversee payroll and pensions systems, ensuring data integrity, controls and ongoing optimisation
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on payroll, pensions, tax and legislative matters
- Manage external providers and partners, including oversight of audits, HMRC engagement and year-end processes
- Drive continuous improvement, process efficiency and service innovation
What We're Looking For:
- Senior-level experience leading payroll and pensions functions within a complex organisation
- Strong technical knowledge of payroll, tax and pension legislation (LGPS experience advantageous)
- Proven leadership capability with experience managing teams and senior stakeholders
- Experience working with enterprise payroll and pension systems
- Comfortable operating in a highly regulated, audit-focused environment
- Strategic mindset with the ability to translate legislation into practical delivery
Interested in a senior leadership role with genuine scope, influence and long-term impact? Contact Tom: tomv@jgarecruitment.com
JGA are dedicated to delivering the best possible candidate experience. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we are not always able to respond to every individual applicant. If your application is shortlisted, a member of our team will be in touch. Thank you for your understanding.
JGA Recruitment Group Ltd are committed to equality of opportunity for all applications regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply.
We are also committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We are a specialist Payroll and HR recruitment agency and recruitment business as defined in the Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
Head of Payroll & Pensions in London employer: JGA Recruitment Group | B CorpTM
Contact Detail:
JGA Recruitment Group | B CorpTM Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Payroll & Pensions in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the payroll and pensions field. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself to potential employers. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of payroll and pensions legislation. Be ready to discuss how you’ve led teams and improved processes in previous roles. We want you to showcase your expertise and strategic mindset, so practice articulating your experiences clearly.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to research the company culture and values of the organisation you’re applying to. Tailor your approach to show how you align with their mission. We believe that demonstrating your fit can really set you apart from other candidates!
✨Tip Number 4
Finally, apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. We’re dedicated to providing a great candidate experience, so take advantage of our platform to make your mark in the payroll and pensions world.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Payroll & Pensions in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Payroll & Pensions role. Highlight your senior-level experience and any specific achievements in payroll and pensions that align with the job description.
Showcase Leadership Skills: We want to see your leadership capabilities shine through! Include examples of how you've developed and motivated teams in previous roles, especially in high-volume payroll operations.
Demonstrate Technical Knowledge: Be sure to mention your strong technical knowledge of payroll, tax, and pension legislation. If you have LGPS experience, make it known! This will show us you're the subject-matter expert we need.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates!
How to prepare for a job interview at JGA Recruitment Group | B CorpTM
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge of payroll, tax, and pension legislation. Being able to discuss specifics, especially around LGPS, will show that you're not just familiar with the basics but are a true subject-matter expert.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led and developed teams in the past. Think about times when you motivated your team or drove a high-performing culture. This is a senior role, so demonstrating your leadership capability is key!
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Be ready to discuss how you can provide strategic leadership across payroll and pensions. Think about how you would translate complex legislation into practical delivery and how you can drive continuous improvement in service delivery.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Prepare to talk about your experience managing senior stakeholders and external providers. Highlight any successful collaborations or audits you've overseen, as this will show your ability to operate in a highly regulated environment.
