Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager 

Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 

Location: Faversham, Head Office 

Overview

 Avante is entering a major phase of payroll transformation, offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced Payroll Manager to drive meaningful change. This role goes beyond delivering accurate and compliant payroll — it’s about modernising a complex, long-established environment.

With multiple payroll runs and legacy processes in place, you’ll play a key role in simplifying operations, improving team capability, and embedding a more efficient, system-led payroll function.

Reporting to the Head of Finance, this position sits at the centre of a wider finance and systems transformation programme.

About You

You’re a strong Payroll Manager who is comfortable working hands-on while leading change in a complex environment.

You will bring:

• Experience managing payroll in a complex or multi-site organisation (social care, healthcare, or similar is advantageous)
• Strong knowledge of payroll systems, ideally Staffology or similar cloud-based platforms
• Excellent systems aptitude, including HR/payroll integrations (e.g. Workforce)
• Experience managing multiple payroll cycles, legacy processes, or fragmented structures
• A track record of process improvement, transformation, or system implementation
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to develop and support teams through change
• A pragmatic, confident approach to improving established ways of working
• Strong attention to detail with a broader strategic mindset

What Makes This Role Exciting

• The opportunity to modernise and shape a key function
• The chance to simplify complexity and create lasting impact
• Exposure to modern, integrated systems
• A supportive environment focused on improvement and investment in people

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end payroll function within a complex social care environment, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery across multiple payrolls 
• Take ownership of payroll transformation activity, reviewing and redesigning existing processes, controls, and ways of working 
• Support the consolidation and simplification of four existing payroll runs, working towards a more efficient payroll structure 
• Act as a key driver of change, helping to shift a long-established team towards new systems, processes, and behaviours 
• Provide hands-on expertise in payroll systems, particularly Staffology, ensuring optimal use of system capability 
• Work closely with HR colleagues to ensure effective integration between payroll and the HR system (Workforce) 
• Identify and address legacy payroll rules, working with stakeholders to standardise and modernise where appropriate 
• Lead, develop, and upskill payroll team members, building confidence in system-led payroll processing 
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, internal controls, and audit standards 
• Act as a trusted partner to the Head of Finance, providing insight, reporting, and recommendations to support strategic decision-making 
• Oversight of Avante’s four pension schemes including ensuring compliance with auto enrolment requirements
• Support with staff cost budgets and staff costings for new projects

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential:

• CIPP qualification (Level 5 preferred) or equivalent experience 
• Candidates with substantial payroll leadership experience in complex environments will also be considered

Desirable:

• Additional qualifications in finance, HR, or systems 

Experience

Essential:

• Proven experience in a Payroll Manager or senior payroll leadership role within a complex organisation 
• Experience managing multiple payroll cycles and navigating operational complexity 
• Demonstrable track record of delivering payroll transformation, process improvement, or change initiatives 
• Experience leading, developing, and upskilling payroll teams 
• Hands-on experience with payroll systems (ideally Staffology or similar cloud-based platforms) 
• Experience working with integrated HR/payroll systems (e.g. Workforce or equivalent) 
• Strong stakeholder management experience, including working with Finance, HR, and senior leadership 

Desirable:

• Experience within social care, healthcare, or other high-volume, multi-site sectors 
• Experience rationalising payroll structures (e.g. consolidating multiple payroll runs) 
• Involvement in system implementations or upgrades 

Skills

• Strong end-to-end payroll processing expertise, with high levels of accuracy and attention to detail 
• Advanced systems aptitude with the ability to quickly understand, optimise, and improve payroll technologies 
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex payroll rules and data 
• Change management skills, with the ability to drive adoption of new processes and systems 
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain complex payroll matters to non-specialists 
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, particularly in a fast-paced, changing environment 
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery 

Knowledge

• Up-to-date knowledge of UK payroll legislation, statutory requirements, and compliance obligations 
• Understanding of payroll controls, audit requirements, and risk management 
• Knowledge of payroll best practice, including process standardisation and automation 
• Awareness of system integrations between payroll and HR platforms 
• Understanding of the challenges associated with legacy payroll rules and how to modernise them 

Qualities

• Demonstrable evidence of Avante’s SPARKLE values
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to operate effectively during periods of change and ambiguity 
• Proactive and solutions-focused, with a continuous improvement mind-set 
• Confident in challenging the status quo in a constructive and professional manner 
• Strong leadership presence, with the ability to engage, motivate, and develop a long-established team 
• Collaborative approach, building strong relationships across Finance, HR, and operational teams 
• High level of integrity and accountability, particularly when handling sensitive payroll data 
• Pragmatic and hands-on, willing to “roll up sleeves” while also driving longer-term transformation