Job Introduction
Main Responsibilities
We are seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead the UK in-house payroll function. Reporting to the UK Head of HR Operations, this role is responsible for the effective leadership and operational excellence of UK payroll delivery, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and full compliance with all regulatory and legislative requirements.
The HR function is entering a significant period of transformation, including the implementation of a new HR system. The Payroll Manager will play a pivotal role in this programme, ensuring payroll processes are optimised and aligned to best practice.
- Lead the end-to-end delivery of the monthly UK payroll, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and full compliance with HMRC and statutory requirements, including PAYE and National Insurance contributions.
- Act as the senior escalation point for complex payroll, employment tax, and compliance matters, ensuring appropriate resolution and risk mitigation.
- Oversee all year-end processes and statutory reporting, including P11D, PSA, Form 42 submissions, and related regulatory filings.
- Partner closely with Benefits to ensure accurate administration of pensions, employee benefits, and profit-sharing arrangements.
- Manage payroll matters relating to UK inbound expatriates, including coordination of tax assistance and specialist advisory input where required.
- Prepare and provide payroll-related financial reporting to Finance, ensuring robust reconciliation and control over employment costs.
- Maintain a strong internal control framework, ensuring audit readiness and compliance with internal governance standards.
- Lead, develop, and mentor the payroll team, fostering a high-performing, accountable, and service-oriented culture.
- Collaborate effectively with HR, Finance, Employment Tax, Risk, and other stakeholders, representing payroll in key forums and initiatives.
- Drive continuous improvement and process optimisation, enhancing efficiency, control, and employee experience.
- Play a central role in the implementation of the new HR system, including payroll configuration, parallel runs, testing, and operational readiness.
- Promote and uphold the Bank’s Risk Management Framework, ensuring proactive identification, management, and escalation of payroll-related risks.
Ideal Candidate
Research (by Harvard University) shows that women are particularly likely to second guess themselves and not apply - so if you are worried you don't meet all the criteria, get in touch anyhow and let us do the worrying…
- Proven experience leading an in-house UK payroll function within a complex or regulated environment.
- Demonstrated people leadership experience, with a track record of building and managing high-performing teams.
- Strong technical expertise in UK employment tax, including expatriate payroll matters.
- Deep understanding of UK payroll legislation, HMRC requirements, and statutory compliance obligations.
- Experience with Workday Payroll. Involvement in a Workday implementation is highly desirable.
- Strong analytical capability, with the ability to interpret complex data and ensure financial accuracy.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and partner effectively at senior levels.
- Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to operate effectively under tight deadlines.
- CIPP qualification desirable.
Company Information
Handelsbanken is a relationship bank with a decentralised way of working, a strong local presence thanks to a nationwide network of branches, and a long-term approach to customer relations. Each Handelsbanken branch operates as a local business enabling it to make decisions at a local level and provide a bespoke service. The focus is always on the need of the individual customer and not on the sale of specific products.
The Bank is deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all of our activities. This is so that we are an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring place to work that encourages everyone to apply, regardless of socio-economic background, age, disability, pregnancy and/or parental status, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), veteran status, marital and civil partnership status, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment or sexual orientation.
Check our Handelsbanken website for further information
At Handelsbanken, we deeply value our unique culture and values including trust in and respect for each individual. We take pride in nurturing a work environment where people flourish, and where they are empowered to take decisions in their areas of expertise. We take a long term perspective in everything we do and want each employee who joins us to build a long terms successful career with the Bank.
What is in it for you?
- We have a wide range of learning and development available, empowering and enabling our colleagues to take ownership of their own development.
- Competitive Salary and an extensive range of benefits is provided, including private medical insurance, income protection and life assurance
- A market-leading pension contribution of 15% paid by the bank, which can be invested in a wide range of funds (including ESG and Shariah funds)
Application next steps
Your journey with us begins once you have submitted your application. One of our Handelsbanken recruiters will be reviewing your details and will later organise a phone conversation if you match the role requirements. If there is a mutual fit, we will extend an invitation for you to participate in an interview.
How can we support you to be your best self? Our Talent Acquisition team will be happy to provide support e.g. if you need additional time to prepare for an interview or you have any requirements for any part of the interview/hiring process – just let us know by email uk_talent@careers.handelsbanken.co.uk.
This advert will be live for a minimum of two weeks. However, please note that after the two weeks, the closing date could change at any time depending on the number of responses received.
#LI-BH1 #LI-hybrid