Head of Payroll

Head of Payroll

Southampton Full-Time 54000 - 84000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
Go Premium
Pilgrim's Europe

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead payroll operations, ensuring timely and accurate payroll delivery for UK and Ireland.
  • Company: Join a dynamic team at Pilgrims Europe, a leader in the industry.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership development, and opportunities for career growth.
  • Other info: Collaborative culture with a focus on continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by improving payroll systems and processes in a multinational environment.
  • Qualifications: 10+ years in payroll management with strong leadership and compliance knowledge.

The predicted salary is between 54000 - 84000 £ per year.

My job

If you want to know about the requirements for this role, read on for all the relevant information.
We\’re Hiring: Head of Payroll
Location: Rushmere, Craigavon, Northern Ireland
Purpose
A strategic payroll leader who will hold overall responsibility and accountability for all Pilgrims Europe payroll activities in UK and Ireland.
The successful candidate will have strong leadership and team management skills, excellent communication and stakeholder management, and a proactive, hands-on approach with a passion for improving systems and processes. They will support and develop payroll team members.
They should have extensive experience managing payroll operations in a complex organisation of at least [5,000 people] with strong knowledge on payroll legislation, pensions, statutory reporting, compliance, and best practice.
The Head of Payroll will support and enable the HRS E2E project delivery in close collaboration with the HR systems team and People Services
Key ResponsibilitiesMeasures of Success

  • Lead and manage payroll operations ensuring timely and accurate delivery of all payrolls for Pilgrims Europe in UK and Ireland.
  • Ensure delivery of a high quality, customer focused and cost competitive service to the wider business in accordance with agreed Service Level Agreements.
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and reporting requirements.
  • Maintain a full working understanding of the organisation\’s payroll procedures and other integrated business processes.
  • Develop and maintain strong process controls.
  • Ensure that appropriate controls are implemented to reduce the risk of delays and errors and implement actions to mitigate any impact.
  • Ensure a suite of standard control reports exist across the business for Payroll processes to ensure compliance and controls.
  • Promote a continuous improvement culture – strive to simplify, standardise and improve processes across all Business Units towards quality and productivity improvements.
  • Ensure a culture of problem identification then resolution and ensure high standards of housekeeping are maintained (e.g. archiving policies, denoting obsolete records, correction of incomplete data sets, employee master data integrity).
  • Ensure that all deliverables expected from improvement initiatives or transitions are identified, executed, tracked and signed-off.
  • Build strong relations with key stakeholders and their teams to facilitate delivery of accurate payments.
  • Lead the Payroll, managing performance, providing coaching, guidance and motivation, and developing colleagues to meet their potential.
  • Assign and prioritise workloads within the team to deliver high quality results, to enable development of colleagues and to ensure uninterrupted service in the event of absence and holidays.
  • Partner with regional HR, Finance, and external vendors to manage payroll transitions and integrations.
  • Support audits and internal controls by maintaining accurate documentation and process transparency.
  • Manage the relevant budget costs and ensure spend remains in control, regularly reporting progress and supplying commentary to agreed timelines.

Skills & Knowledge
Essential

  • 10+ years\’ experience in payroll management, preferably in a multinational environment.
  • Leadership skills, manager of managers
  • Excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills.
  • Strong knowledge of Payroll compliance requirements
  • Thorough and meticulous with extreme attention to detail
  • Advanced experience using Microsoft Office packages
  • Ability to identify and resolve issues and identify process improvements.
  • Excellent communication skills responding to queries from both internal and external stakeholders.
  • Experience maintaining data with a high level of data accuracy.
  • Experience working with payroll software packages

Desirable

  • Previous experience in a SOX compliance environment
  • Experience working with Time & Attendance software packages.
  • Project management experience in delivery of new system platforms, specifically SAP

Qualifications [Accredited]

  • Bachelor\’s degree in Finance, Accounting, HR, or related field; advanced degree or certifications (e.g., CPP, CIPP) preferred

The company
Pilgrim\’s Europe produces some of the best-known and most iconic brands in the UK and Ireland, including Fridge Raiders, Rollover, Denny, Richmond, Oakhouse and Moy Park, alongside a diverse range of industry leading own-label products in categories including fresh pork, lamb and chicken, working with all the major retailers and food service outlets.
Our portfolio extends to authentic chilled and frozen ready meals, snacking ranges, added value and food service products. xiskglj
Across Pilgrim\’s Europe we combine 20,000 of the best people in the industry, united by a shared set of core values and a passion for producing the highest quality, most delicious and innovative food, which is enjoyed by millions of people in the UK, Ireland and Europe every day. Our Pilgrim\’s Europe team are based in our Pilgrim\’s UK, Moy Park, Pilgrim\’s Food Masters and Pilgrim\’s Shared Services businesses.
What we\’ll bring to the table
Competitive Salary
Competitive Holiday Entitlement
Pension Contribution
Family Friendly Policies
Learning and Development Opportunities
Life Assurance
People matter
Previous Next
Our values
Determination
Simplicity
Availability
Humility
Discipline
Sincerity
Ownership

Head of Payroll employer: Pilgrim's Europe

At Pilgrims Europe, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and continuous improvement. Located in Rushmere, Craigavon, our team enjoys a supportive environment with ample opportunities for professional growth and development, alongside competitive benefits that reflect our commitment to employee well-being. Join us as we lead the way in payroll excellence, where your expertise will be valued and your contributions will make a meaningful impact.
Pilgrim's Europe

Contact Detail:

Pilgrim's Europe Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Payroll

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the payroll and HR sectors. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its payroll processes. Familiarise yourself with their systems and any recent news. This shows you're genuinely interested and ready to hit the ground running if you land the role.

✨Tip Number 3

Practice your responses to common interview questions, especially those related to leadership and compliance. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. This will help you articulate your experience clearly and confidently.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our brand. So, get that application in and show us what you've got!

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Payroll

Leadership Skills
Team Management
Communication Skills
Stakeholder Management
Payroll Operations Management
Payroll Legislation Knowledge
Statutory Reporting
Compliance
Process Improvement
Attention to Detail
Data Accuracy
Microsoft Office Proficiency
Problem Identification and Resolution
Project Management
Experience with Payroll Software

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Payroll role. Highlight your experience in payroll management, especially in multinational environments, and showcase your leadership skills. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about payroll and how your skills align with our needs. Don’t forget to mention any experience with compliance and process improvements – we love that stuff!

Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your past roles, focus on your achievements rather than just responsibilities. Did you implement a new system that improved efficiency? Share those success stories with us – we’re all about continuous improvement!

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s super easy, and you’ll be able to keep track of your application status. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!

How to prepare for a job interview at Pilgrim's Europe

✨Know Your Payroll Stuff

Make sure you brush up on your payroll legislation and compliance knowledge. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've navigated complex payroll operations in the past, especially in a multinational environment.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills

Prepare to talk about your experience managing teams and developing talent. Think of concrete examples where you've motivated your team or improved processes, as this role is all about leading and inspiring others.

✨Communicate Like a Pro

Since this role involves a lot of stakeholder management, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Be prepared to explain how you've built strong relationships with key stakeholders in previous roles and how you handle queries effectively.

✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement

This position requires a proactive approach to improving systems and processes. Come armed with examples of how you've implemented changes that led to better efficiency or accuracy in payroll operations.

Head of Payroll
Pilgrim's Europe
Location: Southampton
Go Premium

Land your dream job quicker with Premium

You’re marked as a top applicant with our partner companies
Individual CV and cover letter feedback including tailoring to specific job roles
Be among the first applications for new jobs with our AI application
1:1 support and career advice from our career coaches
Go Premium

Money-back if you don't land a job in 6-months

>