Deputy Head of Pay & Benefits

Location: Birmingham/hybrid

Are you an experienced payroll and reward leader ready to shape, stabilise and transform a complex pay function during a pivotal period of change?

This is a rare opportunity to step into a critical leadership role at the heart of organisational transformation overseeing payroll, pensions and benefits across six employing entities, while driving automation, compliance excellence, and scalable improvement.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Head of HR Operations and leading both the Payroll and Pensions & Benefits Management, you’ll combine deep technical expertise with visible, hands-on leadership.

You’ll help stabilise high-volume, largely manual operations while redesigning processes, improving systems, and building a modern, efficient and trusted pay and reward function.

This is not just operational oversight. This is transformation with impact.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Payroll Operations & Compliance

• Expert oversight of weekly and monthly payrolls across multiple entities
• Ensuring full compliance with NMW, HMRC, PAYE, NICs, statutory payments and year-end processes
• Acting as senior escalation point for complex payroll matters
• Supporting high-volume, accurate and timely payroll delivery

Benefits, Reward & Pensions

• Leading benefits alignment and potential retendering exercises
• Overseeing pensions transformation and simplification – whilst ensuring adherence with all auto-enrolment and regulatory compliance
• Ensuring robust governance of salary sacrifice schemes
• Supporting consolidation and strategic simplification of reward offerings

Change, Automation & Improvement

• Transforming manual processes into streamlined, scalable solutions
• Driving automation to reduce risk and increase team capacity
• Balancing short-term operational pressures with long-term strategy
• Supporting wider pay and reward transformation initiatives

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Providing resilient, solutions-focused leadership in a fast-moving environment
• Developing a high-performing, customer-focused team
• Building strong relationships with HR, Finance and external providers
• Creating a trusted, professional and responsive pay & benefits service

What We’re Looking For

• Significant payroll leadership experience in a complex, multi-entity environment
• Strong technical knowledge of UK payroll legislation and compliance
• Deep expertise in pensions, auto-enrolment and benefits management
• Experience leading process improvement, automation and change
• Proven people leadership through periods of transformation
• Relevant qualification (CIPP Payroll Management Diploma, Degree in Payroll Management, MSc Strategic Leadership or similar)

Desirable experience includes payroll/reward transformation programmes, benefits retendering, IR35, Gender Pay Reporting, GDPR or project management qualifications.

Why Join?

This is your chance to:

• Shape and modernise a pay and benefits function at a defining moment
• Influence strategy while remaining close to operations
• Lead a team through meaningful development and professional growth
• Build a scalable, compliant and customer-centred service for the future

If you are resilient, technically strong, improvement-driven and ready to make a lasting impact we would love to hear from you.