Lead Operations Specialist - Payroll

Job Title

Lead Operations Specialist - Payroll

Britannia House

Full time

Permanent

37.5

Competitive salary plus benefits.

HR Generalists

22 March 2026

The Payroll Lead Operations Specialist plays a critical role in overseeing the delivery of end-to-end payroll services, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and exceptional service across all payroll activities. Reporting to the Payroll Operations and Process Manager, the role acts as the Payroll Subject Matter Expert (SME) and leads a team of Payroll Specialists to deliver timely and compliant pay to colleagues across multiple business entities.

The role requires strong payroll technical knowledge, excellent operational leadership, and a focus on continuous improvement. The Payroll Lead Operations Specialist collaborates closely with the Managed Service Third-Party Payroll provider, Finance, Pensions, HR teams, and other key stakeholders to ensure payroll processes run smoothly, remain compliant with legislation, and are continuously optimised in line with business priorities.

• Oversee day-to-day Managed Service payroll processing
• Ensure full compliance with statutory requirements including Income Tax, National Insurance, SSP, SMP, SPP, SAP, Benefits in Kind, and Attachment of Earnings Orders.
• Lead and coach Payroll Specialists to deliver consistent, high-quality payroll outputs.
• Support the Operations Manager in implementing the payroll service delivery framework and operational plan.

• Partner with the Operations Manager and Process Owners to identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
• Gather and analyse data to assess process effectiveness and highlight trends or areas for intervention.
• Support the design and testing of process enhancements, ensuring smooth adoption by the operational teams.

• Monitor daily service delivery performance using operational dashboards, KPIs, and SLA reports.
• Conduct regular quality checks and provide feedback to ensure adherence to standards and accuracy in execution.
• Identify and elevate significant deviations, service risks, or recurring issues to the Lead Operations Manager.
• Prepare and contribute to regular service reviews, performance updates, and improvement reports.

• Build and maintain positive working relationships with key stakeholders
• Act as a trusted SME and operational point of contact for their process area, providing expert advice and insights.
• Gather feedback from customers and stakeholders to identify opportunities to enhance the colleague experience.
• Ensure communication channels are clear, consistent, and proactive across teams.

• Lead a team of Operations Specialists, ensuring clarity of objectives, performance standards, and accountability.
• Coach and mentor team members to build capability, confidence, and process knowledge.
• Contribute to workforce planning and scheduling to balance workload and ensure service continuity.
• Support a positive, inclusive, and performance-driven team culture that reflects ASDA’s values and service ethos.

• Strong understanding of operations and service delivery models within large, complex organisations.
• Proven experience leading a payroll or operational teams
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to deliver continuous improvement initiatives and adopt new ways of working.
• CIPP Foundation Degree in Payroll Management, or equivalent qualification/experience is desirable.
• Comprehensive knowledge of payroll legislation including Income Tax, National Insurance, statutory payments, Salary Sacrifice, and Benefits in Kind
• Proven expertise in end-to-end payroll processing including month-end and year-end activities is desirable
• Proven experience working with a third-party Managed Service payroll provider
• Experience managing complex, high-volume payroll operations with a strong focus on compliance and accuracy.
• Understanding of payroll operations in a…