Payroll Team Leader

12-14 month FTC position
Central London
Hybrid Working

Our client is seeking an experienced Payroll Team Leader to join their busy team on a 12-14 month FTC basis
Duties include;

Lead, motivate, and manage a payroll team to ensure high performance and engagement
Set clear objectives, priorities, and performance expectations for team members
Conduct regular 1:1 meetings, team meetings, and performance reviews
Provide coaching, mentoring, and development opportunities for team members
Foster a positive, collaborative, and accountable team culture
Allocate workloads effectively across the team based on skills and capacity
Monitor productivity and adjust resource allocation to meet deadlines
Manage team schedules, holidays, and cover to ensure continuous payroll operations
Track individual and team performance against KPIs and service levels
Address underperformance through structured improvement plans
Ensure consistent adherence to company policies and standards
Identify training needs and design development plans for team members
Deliver or coordinate payroll-related and soft skills training
Support onboarding and induction of new payroll staff
Encourage continuous learning and cross-training within the team
Act as the primary escalation point for payroll team queries
Assist with manual calculations and training on payroll legislation
Build strong relationships with HR, Finance, and external stakeholders
Communicate effectively with senior managers on payroll team performance and issues
Lead and implement process changes or system improvements within the team
Drive standardisation and best practices across payroll operations
Support the team through organisational or system changes
Ensure team adherence to payroll processes, policies, and compliance requirements
Oversee audit readiness and support the team during audits
Act as escalation point for complex payroll or team-related issues
Make informed decisions to resolve operational or people challenges
Maintain calm and effective leadership in high-pressure payroll cycles
Report on team performance, service levels, and key metrics
Communicate changes, priorities, and expectations clearly to the team
Encourage innovation, feedback, and proactive problem-solving
Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team
Lead by example in professionalism and valuesYou will have;

Strong leadership & team motivation - inspires, guides, and builds a high-performing, engaged team
Effective communication - clearly conveys information and manages relationships with team and stakeholders
People management & coaching - develops team members, handles performance, and supports growth
Organisation & decision-making - prioritises workloads, delegates effectively, and resolves issues confidently
Resilience & attention to detail - maintains accuracy and stays calm under pressure, especially during payroll cycles
Ability to complete manual calculations and strong payroll knowledge If you have all of the above, and you are keen to support a dynamic team and can commit to a 12-14 month FTC position, then please apply now

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