Deputy Payroll Manager (12-month fixed-term / maternity cover)

Location: Hybrid / London HQ (minimum 40% on site)
Hours: Full-time (min. 35 hrs/week)
Salary: £43,000 - £47,000

About the role
Goodman Masson is partnering with a major UK-wide not-for-profit organisation to recruit a Deputy Payroll Manager (maternity cover, up to 12 months). This is a key leadership role supporting a complex payroll operation across multiple jurisdictions and stakeholder groups.

You will report to the Payroll Manager and play a pivotal role in delivering payroll services across eight monthly payrolls covering over 8,000 payees (including employees, pensioners, volunteers and commissioned officers). The role demands strong technical acumen, tactical delivery skills, stakeholder engagement, and team leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Support the Payroll Manager in defining and enforcing robust payroll timetables, processes and controls to ensure compliant, accurate, and timely payroll delivery across all legal entities

• Lead on the end-to-end management and delivery of payroll functions, including deductions, third-party payments, tax and statutory returns, and liaising with finance/accounting teams to ensure accurate general ledger posting

• Supervise and mentor payroll assistants, ensuring high standards of performance, training, and appropriate resource allocation

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders (e.g. HR, finance, banks, regulatory bodies) to ensure effective coordination of data flows and compliance

• Proactively identify and drive process improvements, system enhancements, and standardisation across multiple jurisdictions

• Provide strategic input on payroll risks, compliance, internal control, and reporting

What we're looking for

• CIPP Qualified, or extensive experience in Payroll

• Substantial experience working within payroll in an environment with multiple, complex payrolls

• Proven people management experience (leading/mentoring a small payroll team)

• Strong competency in Microsoft Excel (intermediate to advanced)

• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and communication skills

• Analytical mindset with attention to detail and high levels of accuracy

• A customer-focused, solutions-driven approach

Why consider this opportunity?

• Work within a mission-driven, socially impactful organisation

• A chance to make a visible difference in optimising payroll operations

• Hybrid working model (flexibility to balance remote and on-site presence)