Payroll Team Lead

Payroll Team Lead  
Hybrid – Solihull, B91 3QJ
Full Time, Permanent   
Band 4

Here at Serco, we’re looking for an experienced and people-focused Payroll Team Lead to join our central Payroll function within People Services. This is a management role where success is driven not just by technical expertise, but by strong stakeholder management, communication, and the ability to lead and inspire a team.

You will lead a team of 10 Payroll Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Administrators, ensuring the delivery of an accurate, efficient, and compliant payroll service. Acting as a key interface between payroll and the wider business, you will play a critical role in managing relationships, resolving escalations, and driving continuous improvement.

As part of this you’ll:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, acting as the primary point of contact for payroll-related queries and issues while collaborating across departments to ensure aligned and effective payroll delivery
• Communicate clearly and confidently at all levels of the organisation, supporting strong stakeholder engagement and service excellence
• Manage and resolve payroll escalations promptly and effectively, investigating root causes and implementing sustainable solutions
• Handle complex payroll issues and discrepancies with confidence, providing guidance and support to the team on troubleshooting and problem-solving
• Identify and implement process improvements and best practices, leading initiatives to enhance payroll systems, processes, and overall service delivery
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of changes and initiatives
• Ensure full compliance with relevant legislation, regulations, and company policies while maintaining up-to-date knowledge of payroll standards
• Oversee the accurate and timely processing of payroll for all employees
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 10 Payroll SMEs and Administrators, fostering a positive, collaborative, and high-performing environment
• Conduct performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and support team development and succession planning

What you’ll need to do the role:

You are a strong communicator and relationship-builder who thrives in a fast-paced, service-driven environment. You bring both technical payroll expertise and the ability to lead, influence, and improve.

• Proven experience in payroll management, with a strong focus on stakeholder engagement
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities
• In-depth knowledge of payroll legislation and compliance requirements
• Strong leadership and team management experience
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure
• Experience with ResourceLink is essential and SAP is desirable

Why Serco:

Meaningful and vital work: In this position, your work is vital to the business, in terms of decisions and growth. You will gain a world of opportunity working for a globally operating business delivering essential services across 5 vital sectors, personal growth, achievement and development won’t be hard to find. You'll also work with great people. You’ll find yourself working in a highly motivated, supportive environment where no two days are the same, with experienced colleagues who strive for excellence.

What we offer:

• Flexible working considered
• Pension – 6%
• Chance to contribute to innovation in the public services
• A company passionate about diversity and inclusion
• Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Simply Health Cash Plans, and more.
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.
• A safe and supportive culture.

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About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.