Middlemore
Payroll & Benefits Lead - UK & EMEA
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Payroll & Benefits Lead – UK & EMEA
Location: Remote, with occasional travel to London
Salary: £85,000 plus bonus
Contract: Permanent
Middlemore are retained with a large, international organisation to appoint an experienced UK & EMEA Payroll & Benefits Lead.
This is an excellent opportunity for a senior payroll professional seeking genuine regional ownership, people leadership, and the chance to deliver meaningful transformation projects. You will take responsibility for payroll and benefits across a diverse portfolio of countries while leading and developing a regional team.
The business is investing in its payroll capability, creating plenty of scope to improve processes, strengthen controls, enhance technology, and introduce greater automation. This is not simply a role focused on maintaining monthly payroll delivery; you will have the autonomy to influence how the function operates and help shape its future direction.
The Opportunity
You will oversee the successful delivery of payroll across the UK and EMEA, ensuring employees are paid accurately, on time, and in accordance with local requirements. Alongside operational leadership, you will be responsible for the regional benefits offering and play a key role in several improvement and transformation initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Taking overall ownership of payroll delivery across the UK and multiple EMEA jurisdictions.
- Leading, supporting, and developing a team of payroll professionals.
- Reviewing and authorising payroll outputs while maintaining high standards of accuracy and control.
- Managing regional employee benefits, including enrolment activity, amendments, renewals, and leaver processes.
- Overseeing relationships with payroll suppliers, benefit brokers, and other external partners.
- Monitoring service performance and holding third parties accountable against agreed standards.
- Developing robust payroll procedures, control frameworks, and country-specific guidance.
- Maintaining compliance with local employment, tax, social security, and benefit requirements.
- Working closely with HR, Finance, and other business functions to resolve complex issues.
- Leading projects involving payroll technology, system integrations, automation, and process redesign.
- Using payroll and benefits data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
- Ensuring the function remains well prepared for internal reviews and external audits.
- Helping to create a consistent regional operating model while recognising individual country requirements.
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What We Are Looking For
This position requires someone who combines strong technical payroll knowledge with proven leadership experience. Previous responsibility for employee benefits is also essential.
- Significant experience managing payroll across the UK and several EMEA countries.
- A strong understanding of UK payroll, supported by broader international payroll knowledge.
- Previous responsibility for managing, coaching, and developing a payroll team.
- Practical experience overseeing benefits across multiple locations.
- Experience managing payroll vendors, benefit providers, or brokers.
- A good understanding of payroll controls, compliance, and audit requirements.
- Experience delivering payroll projects or operational improvements.
- Exposure to payroll systems, integrations, automation, or transformation programmes.
- The ability to manage several priorities in a fast-moving international environment.
- Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to challenge constructively.
- Excellent attention to detail and sound judgement when handling confidential information.
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Why Consider This Role?
This is a high-profile appointment offering considerably more than business-as-usual payroll management. You will have:
- Full ownership of the UK and EMEA payroll remit.
- Responsibility for both payroll and benefits.
- The opportunity to lead and develop an established team.
- Significant involvement in systems, automation, and transformation projects.
- The freedom to improve processes and influence the regional payroll strategy.
- Regular exposure to senior stakeholders across HR and Finance.
- A predominantly remote working arrangement, with only ad-hoc travel to London.
If you are an experienced regional payroll leader with strong people-management and benefits expertise, we would be keen to hear from you.
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