Payroll Manager in Guildford

3 - 6 Month Interim Contract (Temp-to-Perm Opportunity) £250-£325 per day (Inside IR35) Guildford - Hybrid Working (3 Days On-Site)

We're supporting a well-established property business that is looking to appoint an experienced Payroll Manager on an interim basis to provide stability and optimisation across its payroll function during a key period of change. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced payroll professional to take ownership of the end-to-end payroll process for a large multi-entity workforce while driving process improvements and strengthening controls. The initial assignment is expected to run for three to six months, with a strong opportunity to transition into a permanent position for the right individual.

The Role

Reporting into the leadership team, you'll lead the monthly payroll cycle from start to finish while supporting continuous improvement across payroll processes, systems, and controls. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll oversee payroll operations, support a junior team member, and work closely with Finance, HR, and external providers to ensure payroll is delivered accurately and on time.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end monthly payroll process for a workforce of over 1,000 employees across multiple legal entities
• Review and validate payroll inputs, including salary changes, overtime, bonuses, expenses, benefits, pensions, and statutory deductions
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately and in line with HMRC legislation, pension regulations, and internal controls
• Reconcile payroll journals, payroll control accounts, pensions, and statutory payments prior to month-end reporting
• Support Finance with payroll journals, reconciliations, and month-end accounting requirements
• Investigate and resolve payroll queries, discrepancies, and complex employee issues promptly
• Review and approve employee expenses, ensuring compliance with company policies
• Lead payroll-related process improvement initiatives, including system enhancements and automation opportunities
• Coach and support a Payroll & Benefits Administrator, providing guidance, quality assurance, and workload management
• Maintain strong relationships with HR, Finance, and external payroll providers while ensuring payroll records remain accurate and fully compliant

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience leading end to end payroll within a medium to large organisation
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, pensions, tax, and statutory compliance
• Excellent Excel skills, including experience working with large datasets, Pivot Tables, and VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP
• Experience working with payroll, expenses, and finance systems (SAP Concur, Opera, or similar desirable)
• Strong reconciliation skills with the ability to investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage strict payroll deadlines
• High level of accuracy, attention to detail, and confidentiality
• CIPP qualification (or equivalent) desirable but not essential
• Immediately available or able to start at short notice

Why Join?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a highly respected organisation in a visible senior role. You'll have ownership of the payroll function, the opportunity to improve processes, and the chance to secure a permanent position within a collaborative and supportive finance team.