Payroll Team Leader

SUMMARY:
The Payroll Team Leader will provide day-to-day leadership and operational oversight of the UK payroll team while being based in South Africa.

POSITION INFO:

 Payroll Team Leader

Lead the day-to-day operation of a UK payroll team, coordinating workloads, maintaining payroll accuracy and deadlines, supporting Payroll Coordinators and providing operational cover when required.

Cape Town – Gardens | Office Based | 09:00–18:00 SAST | R40,000 per month

ABOUT OUR CLIENT

Our client provides UK payroll services, including PAYE umbrella payroll, supporting recruitment agency clients and umbrella workers.

The business processes payroll, statutory deductions, pension auto-enrolment, expenses, holiday pay, client invoicing and payroll reporting, working across payroll, Finance, Registrations, Compliance and Customer Support.

THE ROLE: PAYROLL TEAM LEADER

The Payroll Team Leader will provide day-to-day leadership and operational oversight of the UK payroll team while being based in South Africa.

The role is responsible for coordinating workloads, monitoring accuracy and deadlines, supporting Payroll Coordinators and acting as the first point of escalation for routine payroll matters. The Payroll Team Leader will remain fully operational and cover Payroll Coordinator duties during annual leave, sickness and other periods of absence.

The role works closely with the Head of Payroll and UK-based Finance, Registrations, Compliance and Customer Support colleagues.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance and support to Payroll Coordinators, promoting a collaborative, accurate and service-focused working environment.
• Plan and allocate daily and weekly payroll workloads, taking account of priorities, deadlines, staff availability and client requirements.
• Monitor team progress throughout each payroll cycle and take prompt action where deadlines, service levels or quality standards may be at risk.
• Act as the first point of escalation for routine payroll queries, processing issues and operational concerns, escalating material or unresolved matters to the Head of Payroll.
• Carry out quality checks and review exception reports, identifying errors, trends, training needs and opportunities to improve processes.
• Coach Payroll Coordinators, provide constructive feedback and support the induction and training of new team members.
• Support the Head of Payroll with day-to-day team communication, performance information, workflow reporting and the implementation of operational changes.
• Maintain sufficient knowledge of each payroll portfolio to provide effective cover and continuity across the team.
• Cover the full duties of Payroll Coordinators during annual leave, sickness, training and other periods of absence, including management of allocated recruitment agency clients and umbrella workers.
• Import, review and validate timesheet, pay instruction and worker data before processing.
• Process UK PAYE umbrella payroll accurately and within agreed weekly deadlines.
• Review payroll calculations including PAYE income tax, employee and employer National Insurance, pension contributions, holiday pay, Apprenticeship Levy, student loan deductions and other statutory deductions.
• Process approved worker expenses, holiday pay and Advance requests in line with company procedures.
• Generate and issue client invoices and supporting payroll reports, and reconcile funds received against invoices and payroll requirements.
• Process starters, leavers, P45 details, tax code changes and other authorised payroll amendments.
• Support pension auto-enrolment administration, including enrolment, postponement, opt-out and contribution queries.
• Respond professionally to payroll queries from workers and recruitment agency clients, explaining payslips and deductions clearly without providing tax, financial or legal advice.
• Maintain complete and accurate records, case notes and audit trails within company systems.
• Ensure the team follows company procedures and maintains appropriate standards of confidentiality, data protection and information security.
• Undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role.

ABOUT YOU

• At least three years'' experience processing high-volume PAYE or comparable payroll.
• Experience processing UK payroll and a strong understanding of UK PAYE income tax and National Insurance.
• Knowledge of UK tax codes, statutory deductions, pension auto-enrolment, holiday pay and payroll reconciliation.
• Previous experience supervising, coaching or providing day-to-day guidance to payroll colleagues.
• A good standard of secondary education, including English and Mathematics, or an equivalent South African qualification.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Outlook and web-based business systems.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Confident and approachable day-to-day leadership, with the ability to organise, motivate and support a team.
• Exceptional accuracy, attention to detail and numerical ability.
• Ability to prioritise competing demands, allocate work effectively and meet immovable payroll deadlines.
• Clear written and spoken English and a professional, empathetic customer-service approach.
• Ability to explain payroll calculations and deductions in plain language.
• Sound judgement, personal accountability and confidence in making operational decisions within agreed authority.
• Ability to identify when an issue requires escalation and to communicate risks promptly and clearly.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback, coach colleagues and address day-to-day performance or quality concerns appropriately.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a UK-based team.
• Strong awareness of confidentiality, data protection and information security.
• Experience of UK umbrella payroll or supporting a UK business/customer base is desired.
• A recognised payroll or leadership qualification is desired.