Payroll Team Lead
- Kings Hill Office, Kings Hill, ME19 4AE
- £34,000 per year
- Leadership and Organisational Support
- Full time
- Closes 4 Dec 2026
- Kings Hill Office, Kings Hill, ME19 4AE
- £34,000 per year
- Closes 4 Dec 2026
- Full time
- HR
- Leadership and Organisational Support
Helping others improve and turn their lives around – there’s no better feeling. It’s what we do for thousands of people at more than 150 sites across the UK. Be a part of it.
Payroll Team Lead
Reports to: Payroll Team Manager (or equivalent senior role)
The payroll landscape of Cygnet is complex due to the high numbers of acquisitions over recent years. The role of the Payroll Team Lead covers a number of Pay and Pension areas.
Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
Day to Day:
- Support the end-to-end payroll cycle for the business, including hands on processing where required to support the team
- Complete manual systems backups on the agreed schedule, (Schedule needs to be agreed)
- Provide review of regular Payroll main runs to ensure accuracy (1st line checks)
- Support with system wide calculations within the pay cycle, transfers between payroll companies and payroll number allocation for re-hired employees (Transfers need to be date driven)
- Identify and report any over or underpayments to the Payroll Manager providing sufficient evidence
- Complete manual systems backups on the agreed schedule, (Schedule needs to be agreed)
- Support where required with HMRC communications such as tax code downloads, FPS and EPS submissions
- Assist with the closing of payroll cycles and report running
- Support the payroll team manager with outstanding requests/escalations within the payroll portal
Personnel:
- Mentor and support the team to assist with training and continued professional development
- Identify and escalate any performance issues or training needs to payroll manager
- Identify and report to the payroll Team manager, staff that are performing over and above expectations
- Provide positive feedback to the team where appropriate and warranted
- Perform one to ones on a weekly basis
- Provide cover for colleagues during periods of absence and critical processing
- Keep up to date with changes to payroll legislation
Communication:
- Develop and maintain relationships with on-site teams to ensure that information flows are reliable, accurate and timely
- Monitor the Payroll Portal to respond and resolve requests in line with our Service Level Agreements
- Provide support on the Amazon connect telephone system, ensuring that stakeholders are treated in a professional and helpful manner and any requests are logged as required
- Review central email inboxes to ensure completion
Strategy:
- Work with the Payroll Team Manager to maintain and review payroll calendars to plan resource and monitor payroll cycles
- Review controls with a view to recommending improvements and identifying new areas of risk
- Work with other senior members of the team and wider business to manage expectations, communication and provide resolution to issues
- Support the implementation of new systems and/or processes, providing training to the team where required.
- Monthly control account reconciliations
Why Cygnet? We’ll offer you…
- Salary of £34,000 per year
- Strong career progression opportunities into management roles
- Monthly reflective practice, & support with CPD opportunities
- Expert supervision & peer support
- Pension scheme
- “Cycle to work” scheme & employee discount saving.
What next?
If you care about making a difference – we want to talk to you.
Click the button to apply
Founded in 1988, Cygnet is a leading UK provider of specialist mental health services, learning disability services, autism support and social care.
With services across the UK, Cygnet supports thousands of people every day through a wide range of inpatient and community-based services designed to help people achieve better outcomes and live healthier, more independent lives.
Our teams work across hospitals, residential services and supported living environments, supporting young people and adults with complex mental health needs, learning disabilities, autism, acquired brain injuries and eating disorders. Every service is centred around providing safe, compassionate and person-focused care.
At Cygnet, we believe that everybody deserves the opportunity to live a life that feels meaningful, fulfilling and hopeful. That means creating environments where people feel supported, respected and empowered to make progress at their own pace.
Support looks different for every individual. For some people, it may involve helping them regain confidence and independence following a period of mental ill health. For others, it may mean providing specialist support around communication, daily living skills or emotional wellbeing. Whatever the journey looks like, our focus is always on helping people move towards a more positive future.
Our colleagues are at the heart of everything we do. Every day, they help people achieve milestones that can have a lasting impact — whether that’s building trust, developing new skills, reconnecting with loved ones or taking steps towards greater independence.
Because of this, working at Cygnet is about far more than delivering care. It’s about building genuine relationships, creating opportunities for recovery and helping people realise their potential.
Many of our roles don’t need previous experience in healthcare or social care. What matters most is sharing our values (Care, Respect, Empower, Trust and Integrity) and a genuine desire to support others. In return, Cygnet provides comprehensive training, ongoing development and clear opportunities to build a rewarding long-term career.
For many colleagues, the most rewarding part of the role is knowing they’ve made a meaningful difference to somebody’s life.
At Cygnet, those moments matter every single day.