Job Introduction
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