Country Payroll Lead – UK

Royston, UK or London, UK (hybrid)

World‑changing careers, enabled by Johnson Matthey. With more than 200 years of history, join us and help accelerate the transition to net‑zero! As a Country Payroll Lead, you’ll contribute to JM’s mission as a world leader in sustainable technology, transforming energy and reducing carbon emissions for a cleaner, brighter future.

The role

• Ensuring efficient and effective payroll service delivery across all entities in the UK.
• Playing a role in actual payroll run: data validation, controls, sign‑off.
• Acting as the subject‑matter expert (SME) for UK payroll delivery and compliance requirements.
• Leading and coaching payroll analysts, providing training and guidance to improve performance and capability.
• Building strong partnerships with HR, Finance, Compliance, and Country/Site Managers.
• Managing vendor performance in relation to UK service delivery; overseeing daily operations, resolving performance issues, and ensuring adherence to SLAs.
• Handling complex payroll cases and escalations, conducting root‑cause analysis, and implementing corrective actions.
• Ensuring compliance with global standards, SOPs, and audit requirements, maintaining accurate documentation and controls.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities for process optimisation, and contributing to regional projects and knowledge sharing.

Key skills that will help you succeed

• Solid experience in UK payroll operations, ideally combined with exposure to payroll processing across multiple countries or jurisdictions.
• People leadership experience, including coaching and developing team members to achieve objectives.
• Strong ability to prioritise workload and manage deadlines to ensure timely and accurate delivery.
• Familiarity with HR systems (ideally Workday) and payroll platforms (ideally CloudPay) would be an advantage.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a global team, demonstrating collaboration and adaptability.
• High attention to detail and a proactive approach, including initiating action, planning, and organising to deliver results efficiently.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to respond clearly to customers and stakeholders and build collaborative relationships.
• A good standard of business English, written and verbal, and fluency in English to enable global collaboration.

What we offer

• Retirement savings and share plans.
• Saving accounts.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Medical plans / health assessments.
• Fitness discounts.

Inclusivity & Equal Opportunity

At JM, inclusivity is central to our values. We create an environment where everyone can thrive, embracing diverse perspectives to tackle challenges and ensure all colleagues feel valued and connected. Johnson Matthey Plc is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.

Contact & Accessibility

For any queries or accessibility requirements, please contact GlobalRecruit@matthey.com.

Closing date for applications

This job advertisement will be posted for a minimum of 2 weeks, early application is advised.