Senior Manager - Operational Payroll Solutions

About the team

The issues surrounding tax and legal services are constantly evolving, both locally and globally. Our Tax and Law experts are at the forefront of providing a range of specialist tax and legal knowledge and technologies to empower businesses. This is why you'll find KPMG the perfect place for you to build your expertise, progress your career and make your mark.

Our tax professionals have an impact on some of the most pressing global challenges of the day, such as climate change, incentives and transparency. We offer real scale and size in terms of the range of tax solutions we offer clients. Our services span: International Tax, Deal Advisory Tax and Transfer Pricing; Business Taxes, covering advisory, compliance, claims and incentives and transformation; People Taxes, advising on all aspects of employee reward, tax issues arising as a result of having a global workforce as well as advising high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurial families; and Indirect Taxes.

Operational Payroll Solutions is a growing team of experienced payroll specialists helping organisations across industries and sectors achieve payroll excellence. We work on complex payroll remediation, controls, operational improvement and sustainable payroll services, bringing together the right expertise to resolve issues, strengthen delivery and create measurable value for clients.

About the role:

As an Operational Payroll Solutions Senior Manager, you will lead client engagements from initial diagnosis and scope through to measurable outcomes and further value. You will help organisations improve payroll operations, resolve complex issues and embed sustainable change, while owning senior client relationships, engagement governance, commercial performance, risk and quality. Working with Directors and Partners, you will shape client approaches and propositions, support market activity and develop the wider Operational Payroll Solutions offering. This is an opportunity to use the payroll operations expertise you have already built in a broader advisory environment while developing others and strengthening reusable approaches.

What you'll be Doing

• Lead client engagements, setting the delivery approach and managing objectives from diagnosis and scope through to outcomes and identification of further value.

• Shape client approaches, propositions, teams and commercial strategies with Directors and Partners.

• Lead complex payroll remediation, from root-cause analysis through correction, validation and prevention of recurrence.

• Review and strengthen payroll controls, HMRC reconciliations, Real Time Information, payments, overpayments and operational efficiency.

• Design and embed robust operating standards, including standard operating procedures, training materials, quality assurance guidance and practical monitoring.

• Work constructively with HMRC, clients and internal specialists to investigate discrepancies, agree corrective action and resolve complex positions.

• Provide subject matter expertise on payroll regulation and its operational application, including support for complex managed-service issues.

• Advise on benefits, salary sacrifice, holiday and sick pay, National Minimum Wage, payrolling of benefits, off-payroll workers and international payroll complexities.

• Own client relationships, governance, commercial management, risk and quality, while developing proposals and converting opportunities into well-scoped engagements.

• Coach and develop junior colleagues, share knowledge and create reusable approaches that strengthen team capability.

Skills, experience, and knowledge you'll need

• Extensive UK payroll operations expertise gained in a large or complex in-house function, accountancy firm, payroll bureau or managed service, including leadership of complex remediation.

• Deep knowledge of the payroll application of Pay As You Earn (PAYE), National Insurance contributions, pensions, statutory payments, Real Time Information and payroll controls.

• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to build trusted relationships with senior clients, HMRC and colleagues.

• Commercial judgement and experience of leading teams, balancing varied priorities and taking ownership of quality, risk and outcomes.

• Experience of building a market profile, developing client opportunities, leading proposals and generating new work, or a clear willingness to develop these skills.

• Confidence using data and technology to diagnose issues and improve delivery; payroll system change or implementation experience is desirable.

• Knowledge of international payroll and off-payroll worker requirements is desirable, including shadow and modified payroll arrangements, benefits and IR35.

Qualifications you'll need:

• Current Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) registration is essential. A tax qualification is desirable.