Senior Payroll Officer

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Officer to lead our in‑house payroll function for a large education organisation. The role is office‑based in Cranleigh and offers the chance to work closely with HR and Finance to ensure accurate, compliant payroll delivery.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the end‑to‑end monthly payroll for a workforce of 200+ employees.
• Process new starters, leavers, contractual changes and payroll adjustments.
• Administer statutory payments such as sick pay, maternity pay and other entitlements.
• Ensure compliance with UK payroll legislation, pensions and HMRC requirements.
• Review payroll data, perform reconciliations and validate reports before payment.
• Produce statutory returns, year‑end documentation and management reports.
• Maintain accurate payroll and HR records, including employee absence information.
• Respond to complex payroll enquiries from employees and external organisations.
• Support payroll system updates, testing and continuous process improvements.
• Mentor junior colleagues and share payroll knowledge across the team.

Required profile

• Significant experience managing an in‑house payroll for at least 200 staff.
• Recognised payroll qualification such as CIPP Level 4 or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, pensions and statutory payments.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to communicate with stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience supervising colleagues and supporting HR activities is advantageous.

Required skills

• CIPP Level 4 (or equivalent) payroll qualification
• Advanced Excel proficiency