Assistant Payroll Manager in London

We are now looking for an experienced Assistant Payroll Manager to join the People Team and help to embed and evolve new streamlined processes and ways of working, including maximising the use of our HCM and Payroll system (Workday). The Assistant Payroll Manager plays a key role in delivering a high-quality, customer-focused payroll service. This is a hands-on, operational role, responsible for supporting end-to-end payroll delivery while managing a small team and driving continuous improvement across payroll processes.

This role suits someone who enjoys the operational detail of payroll, is comfortable balancing payroll deadlines with stakeholder expectations, and can combine strong technical payroll knowledge with a pragmatic, service-led approach.

• End-to-end payroll delivery: Support the delivery of accurate and timely end-to-end payroll processing, ensuring all statutory, contractual, and internal deadlines are met.
• Remain hands-on in payroll processing activities, particularly during peak periods or where additional support is required.
• Act as a point of escalation for complex payroll queries, resolving issues efficiently and professionally.
• Team management and support: Line management of a small payroll team, providing day-to-day supervision, coaching, and support.
• Allocate work effectively across the team to balance payroll processing, query volumes, and operational priorities.
• Support development of team capability, knowledge sharing, and consistency of payroll practice.
• Stakeholder & customer service focus: Build strong working relationships with HR, Finance, managers, and employees, acting as a trusted payroll contact.
• Balance customer service expectations with the operational realities and controls required for accurate payroll delivery.
• Communicate clearly and confidently with stakeholders, explaining payroll outcomes, issues, and constraints in plain English.
• Compliance, tax & governance: Ensure payroll activity complies with relevant legislation and internal controls.
• Apply working knowledge of payroll tax, statutory deductions, and reporting requirements (with support from specialists where needed).
• Support audits, reconciliations, and year-end activities (e.g. P60s, P11Ds), escalating risks where identified.
• Continuous improvement: Actively identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, controls, and ways of working.
• Contribute to payroll change initiatives, system improvements, and process simplification.
• Support the embedding of consistent, efficient payroll processes that reduce rework, errors, and manual intervention.

This role will be a hybrid role.

You’ll be joining a highly successful company, the UK’s largest equipment rental provider. We provide an industry-leading flexible rewards package including company car/allowance, bonus, generous holiday allowance (with the opportunity to buy and sell annual leave), private medical and life assurance, retail discount scheme, employee recognition awards and a great Company pension scheme.

If you join the team we’ll provide you with everything you need and ensure you are equipped for success. We’ll talk to you about your training and personal development needs and what you’d like to do to further your career and support your future aspirations.

• Proven experience delivering end-to-end payroll in a medium to large organisation.
• Strong operational payroll knowledge, with confidence handling complex or non-standard scenarios.
• Experience managing or supervising a small payroll team.
• Comfortable working to tight deadlines in a high-volume payroll environment.
• Confident stakeholder communicator, able to balance service delivery with operational control.
• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and a practical mindset.
• Working knowledge of payroll tax and statutory reporting.
• Strong Excel skills.

• Experience supporting payroll audits and compliance activity.
• Exposure to payroll process improvement or systems change initiatives.
• Relevant payroll qualification (e.g. CIPP) or working towards.

Sunbelt Rentals is the leader in equipment rentals in the UK, Ireland, US and Canada - as well as specialist operations in Europe. We provide a range of solutions to every market and sector, including construction, industrial, energy, infrastructure, government and events. Our teams make the impossible possible and the unthinkable doable. Turning what if into what is.

Our people are at the heart of our values and they’re our greatest asset. We rely on you to look after our customers so in return, we take good care of you. We recognise the value and uniqueness of our team-mates and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive Sunbelt Rentals, providing equality of opportunity and a culture of fairness and respect.

Your health, safety and wellbeing is really important to us. We’re raising awareness and providing support through initiatives such as our mental health awareness campaign and first-aider programme. You’ll also be able to access a 24-7 employee assistance helpline, counselling services and financial wellbeing support.