Temporary Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager (3-Month Interim Assignment)
Glasgow City Centre (Hybrid – 3 Days Office / 2 Days Home)
3-Month Contract / Interim Assignment
Competitive Daily Rate / Salary Equivalent
We are currently seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to join a well-established organisation in Glasgow City Centre on a 3-month interim assignment.
This is a hands-on role requiring an experienced payroll professional who can quickly take ownership of a busy and complex payroll function, ensuring employees, contractors, and fee-paid staff are paid accurately and on time while maintaining full compliance with payroll legislation and internal controls.
Reporting to the Deputy Director of Finance, you will oversee the end-to-end payroll function, managing a Payroll Administrator and taking overall responsibility for payroll operations, reporting, compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full payroll cycle, ensuring accurate and timely processing.
• Oversee payroll processing for employees, contractors, and fee-paid workers.
• Prepare and process payroll payments, statutory deductions, and pension contributions.
• Reconcile payroll reports to finance systems and general ledger accounts.
• Ensure compliance with PAYE, National Insurance, pensions, and employment legislation.
• Work closely with HR to process starters, leavers, contractual changes, and pay awards.
• Respond to payroll, tax, pension, and employment status queries from employees and managers.
• Liaise with external bodies including pension providers, auditors, and HMRC.
• Produce payroll analysis and reporting for senior finance stakeholders.
• Support payroll system enhancements, upgrades, and process improvements.
• Line manage, support, and develop the Payroll Administrator.
• Take overall ownership of payroll delivery, controls, and governance across the organisation.

About You
We're looking for a payroll specialist who can hit the ground running and confidently manage a complex payroll environment.
Essential

• Significant payroll management experience.
• Proven experience overseeing complex payroll processing across multiple employee groups.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, PAYE, pensions, and statutory requirements.
• Experience using ERP systems, ideally SAP and/or Oracle.
• Experience using payroll and finance systems in a large-scale environment.
• Strong reconciliation, reporting, and analytical skills.
• Advanced Excel and Microsoft Office capability.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Previous experience managing, mentoring, or supervising team members.

Desirable

• Payroll, Finance, or Accounting qualification.
• Experience leading payroll system implementations or upgrades.
• Experience within higher education, public sector, creative, or arts environments.
• Experience processing payments for freelance or fee-paid workers.

Why Apply?
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Payroll Manager to step into a key leadership role, provide immediate value, and support a busy finance function during a period of transition and operational activity.
If you're available at short notice and have the expertise to take ownership of a payroll function and lead payroll operations with confidence, we'd love to hear from you.