Payroll Director United Kingdom

At Inizio, we're a global team driven by a shared purpose: to reimagine health. Formed in 2022 through the coming together of Ashfield and Huntsworth, we unite decades of experience with cutting‑edge capabilities to deliver impactful solutions across the commercialization journey – from discovery to post‑launch. Our global network of over 10,000 experts operates across 50 countries, supporting clients with strategic insight, medical excellence, creative engagement, and real‑world delivery.

We work with the world's leading health and life sciences businesses to solve complex challenges and drive meaningful outcomes for our clients and patients.

What sets Inizio apart is our people – and we believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive. Here, you're encouraged to reimagine your possibilities: to grow, to be curious and to make real change happen. It's a place where your individuality is valued, your development is supported, and your ambition is celebrated. If you're ready to push boundaries and accelerate your career, Inizio is the best place to be.

We are seeking a commercially astute and strategically minded Director, Payroll – International Markets to play a pivotal leadership role within our Global Finance Services function. This is an opportunity to shape and strengthen a multi‑country payroll operation within a growing, global organisation, ensuring governance maturity, operational excellence and scalable infrastructure to support continued expansion.

As a key member of the global payroll leadership team, you will influence operating model evolution, drive control and compliance excellence, and partner closely with senior Finance and People leaders to ensure payroll delivery supports broader organisational objectives. This role offers high visibility, strategic impact and the opportunity to build a resilient and future‑ready payroll function across international markets.

You will be a senior leader within our Global Finance Services function, accountable for the strategic and operational delivery of payroll across the UK, Ireland and additional international markets (including Greece, France and the Philippines), with scope to expand in line with the evolving global payroll model.

You will provide Director‑level oversight of payroll governance, risk management, service excellence and transformation across assigned jurisdictions. Leading both internal payroll teams and external payroll providers, you will ensure compliant, scalable and acquisition‑ready payroll infrastructure while acting as a trusted advisor to Finance and People leadership.

Operating within the global payroll governance framework, you will have full accountability for performance and control across assigned markets, with enterprise‑wide functional oversight retained by the Head of Global Payroll.

This is a hybrid role based out of our Manchester office, and reports to our Head of Global Payroll.

• Lead execution of the global payroll strategy across assigned jurisdictions.
• Contribute to the design and evolution of the global payroll operating model, including insource/outsource alignment and cross‑regional coverage.
• Drive standardisation and harmonisation of payroll processes while respecting local regulatory requirements.
• Provide strategic insight to senior stakeholders on payroll risk, compliance exposure and optimisation opportunities.
• Ensure payroll infrastructure supports organisational growth, acquisitions and geographic expansion.

• Hold full accountability for accurate, compliant and timely payroll delivery across assigned markets.
• Lead, develop and performance‑manage an internal payroll team, fostering succession capability and high service standards.
• Oversee third‑party payroll providers, ensuring contractual compliance, service quality, KPI performance and continuous improvement.
• Establish and govern SLAs, performance dashboards and vendor review forums.
• Own escalation management and resolution of complex payroll matters impacting employees or senior stakeholders.
• Act as senior liaison with HMRC, Revenue…