Global Payroll & Benefits Manager

Title: Global Payroll & Benefits Manager

Location: London | 4 days a week

Contract: Permanent

Own the delivery. Lead the change. Shape a global payroll function.

Middlemore has been retained by an established international professional services business to appoint a Global Payroll Manager.

The organisation is investing in its HR and Finance infrastructure following significant growth. This appointment offers an experienced payroll professional the opportunity to take ownership of global delivery while leading improvements to how payroll is coordinated, controlled and reported.

Reporting to the Global HR Director, you will combine practical UK payroll management with international oversight and a substantial consolidation agenda. You will have the opportunity to influence the future operating model and make payroll an increasingly valuable source of financial and workforce information.

The Role

Your first priority will be to take direct responsibility for UK payroll through ADP. Alongside monthly delivery, you will review overseas arrangements and develop a phased approach to bringing them under consistent oversight. Working with local providers and colleagues across Europe, the Americas and Asia, you will establish clear responsibilities, strengthen controls and identify opportunities to simplify processes. This is a role for someone who enjoys both the operational detail and the challenge of building something better. You must be comfortable personally delivering payroll while progressing the wider change agenda.

Your responsibilities:

• Manage the complete UK payroll cycle through ADP and oversee accurate, compliant international delivery.
• Own payroll reconciliations, approval controls and final sign off.
• Prepare payroll journals, allocate costs and reconcile payroll outputs with the general ledger.
• Manage payroll accruals and prepayments, supporting monthly and annual financial close.
• Calculate variable pay, validate underlying data and resolve discrepancies with Finance and commercial stakeholders.
• Oversee taxable benefits, statutory reporting and payroll related pension requirements.
• Support complex pension and benefits arrangements, including tapered annual allowances and alternative compensation arrangements.
• Administer Apprenticeship Levy calculations, reporting and fund utilisation.
• Coordinate overseas providers and advisers, including support for international mobility where required.
• Produce cost, headcount and variance reporting to support budgeting and forecasting.
• Improve processes, automation, documentation and audit readiness, including the treatment of currency movements across overseas payrolls.

What you will bring

You will have proven experience managing payroll across multiple countries, supported by strong technical UK knowledge.

We are looking for:

• Strong practical ADP experience is essential.
• The ability and willingness to run UK payroll personally.
• Experience managing international payroll providers and regional deadlines.
• Sound payroll accounting knowledge, including journals, ledger reconciliations and financial controls.
• Experience calculating commissions and administering variable remuneration.
• Strong knowledge of UK tax, taxable benefits and pension requirements.
• Analytical confidence, attention to detail and clear communication across HR and Finance.
• An approachable, proactive style and the ability to gain support for change.

Experience of payroll transformation, consolidation or systems implementation would be particularly valuable. HRIS knowledge and exposure to expatriate payroll would also be welcome.

• You will have ownership of an important function and direct access to the leadership shaping its future.
• The project offers meaningful scope: bringing international arrangements together, strengthening payroll accounting, improving reporting and connecting payroll with wider HR and Finance developments.
• As the business evolves, further integrations and changing requirements will create additional challenges. There may also be opportunities to broaden your involvement in reward, systems or operations, depending on your interests and business needs.
• For someone who wants to combine technical credibility with visible project delivery, this is an opportunity to make a lasting contribution.

Middlemore is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

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