National Payroll Director

National Payroll Lead Director

North West or London

What Sets Us Apart

At MHA, we’re about people first – our people, our clients, and the communities we serve. As one of the UK’s top 11 accountancy firms and a proud member of Baker Tilly International, the 9th largest network in the world, we are a hub of global knowledge with a strong local commitment. 

Our people-focused approach truly sets us apart. Here, you won’t just be another face in the firm; you’ll be part of an ambitious, driven team dedicated to continuous learning and growth. We invest in our people because they are the foundation of our success. With access to unparalleled resources and award-winning development programmes, you’ll have the freedom to shape your career while making a meaningful impact. We take immense pride in being awarded gold for Investors in People. This recognition reflects our deep commitment to nurturing talent and ensuring every individual feels valued and supported.

Here, You’ll Go Beyond Numbers

We’re looking for a talented National Payroll Lead Director who thrives in a dynamic environment and embraces the chance to tackle complex challenges. At MHA, you’ll be surrounded by passionate professionals who are dedicated to making a difference. Your work in Payroll will go beyond the numbers – it’s about building meaningful client relationships, understanding their businesses, navigating risks, and delivering insights that drive real results.

Prior Experience

• Proven experience leading a national or multi regional payroll function, ideally within a professional services environment.
• Significant experience working within or managing a payroll bureau, including oversight of high volume, multi-client processing environments.
• Demonstrable experience managing an offshore payroll delivery centre or global service centre, including setting service levels, overseeing quality, and managing cross border workflows.
• Track record of owning or shaping an end-to-end payroll operating model across onshore and offshore teams, with clear responsibility for scope, hand offs, risk controls and escalation routes.
• Experience leading change and transformation programmes, including digitisation, automation, and adoption of new technologies within payroll.
• Strong background in payroll compliance, including HMRC legislation, pensions, RTI, GDPR, and statutory reporting, with the ability to update processes in line with regulatory change.
• Evidence of managing outsourced and offshore relationships, including Joint Ventures or third-party providers, with responsibility for SLAs, KPIs and performance management.
• Experience overseeing payroll software platforms and vendor relationships, including system upgrades, integrations, and contract management.
• Proven ability to manage resource planning and workforce allocation across diverse teams, including balancing onshore and offshore capacity during peak periods.
• Experience leading business continuity, risk management, and quality assurance activities within a payroll environment.
• Strong background working with senior stakeholders, including leadership teams, governance committees, boards, or risk panels.
• Experience handling complex payroll matters for high value or high-risk clients, including oversight of exception cases and escalated issues.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain a client relationship model, rather than a transactional service approach.
• Experience developing training pathways and uplifting capability across both UK and offshore payroll teams.
• Proven experience in data integrity management, including controls for offshore access, statutory documentation, system alignment, and accurate reporting.
• Experience improving payroll MI, reporting and dashboarding, including utilisation, quality metrics and operational KPIs.
• History of leading and developing teams, driving continuous improvement, and fostering collaboration across regions or service lines.

Job description

Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Steer the national payroll service line, assisting in setting strategic direction, delivering the message to team members and other stakeholders and ensuring alignment across regional offices.
• Own and evolve the end-to-end payroll operating model across UK and offshore delivery, including scope definition, service boundaries, hand offs and escalation routes.
• Lead change and innovation initiatives, reviewing AI and other automation and digitisation options within the payroll process with a focus on increasing offshore suitability and scalability.
• Work with Payroll Transition Advisory Lead and Transformation Director to define and lead the payroll offshoring strategy, including phased scaling plans, eligibility criteria, and target levels of offshore delivery by payroll type and risk profile.
• Business continuity and risk reduction initiatives, setting out a project plan for standardising operational procedures, compliance and regulatory procedures, improving quality and reducing risk, including controls specific to offshore delivery - ensuring business continuity.
• Represent payroll in firm-wide governance, including interaction with RiCo and assisting partners in reporting to management boards.  risk committees and advisory panels, particularly where offshore delivery or high-risk engagements are involved.
• Oversee and manage the consolidated offshore Joint Venture relationship, acting as the primary interface between UK payroll leadership and the offshore JV, ensuring service level agreements (SLAs), key performance indicators (KPIs), and mutual obligations are met on both sides.
• Oversee payroll software vendor relationships, acting as the primary point of contact for system providers and ensuring system performance, contract terms, SLAs, upgrades, and support arrangements meet operational and compliance requirements.
• Shape firm-wide payroll policy on outsourcing/offshoring
• Be accountable to the ABAS Council Lead for payroll offshoring decisions, ensuring consistent national standards and avoiding fragmented regional approaches.
• Represent payroll in market forums / publications

Operational Oversight

• Monitor performance of payroll teams, both UK based and offshore, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and quality of output.
• Continuously review and rebalance work allocation between UK and offshore teams, increasing offshore volumes where appropriate while maintaining service quality and compliance.
• Oversee outsourced bureau operations, including BACS accreditation and segregation of duties, ensuring appropriate division of processing, review and exception handling between onshore and offshore teams.
• Ensure consistency and quality control across offices, including software alignment and process standardisation and reduction of local variance that limits offshore scalability.
• Manage recruitment and staffing strategy, including business cases for new hires and transitions.
• Review and approve payroll reports, especially for high-value or complex clients, ensuring appropriate onshore oversight is retained where required.
• Manage escalations and exceptions, including complex payroll queries or errors.
• Be accountable for offshore capacity planning, including peak period demand management and contingency arrangements.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with payroll legislation, including HMRC regulations, RTI submissions, pension schemes and GDPR, across both UK and offshore delivery models.
• Monitor changes in legislation, and ensure timely updates to processes and systems, including assessment of offshore impact.
• Monitor engagement risk, especially for clients with complex structures or reputational sensitivity, and determine appropriate onshore vs offshore handling.
• Audit and review payroll processes, including discrepancies, tax filings, and statutory reporting, with specific oversight of offshore quality and control effectiveness.
• Own the payroll offshoring risk framework, including data protection, cross border processing, quality assurance and business continuity risks.

Client Relationship & Advisory

• Support partners and client teams in positioning the offshore payroll model, ensuring it is presented as a controlled, quality led delivery approach.
• Maintaining a client relationship model, rather than an anonymous processing service, acting as senior point of contact for key clients.
• Advising clients on payroll software, compliance, and operational efficiencies, including how offshore delivery supports resilience and scalability.
• Handling sensitive client scenarios, such as onboarding, restructuring, or engagement scope changes, including considering offshore delivery and how this may be affected.
• Resolve escalated client issues and ensure high levels of satisfaction.
• Develop and maintain service delivery frameworks, tailored to client needs, clearly defining offshore and onshore responsibilities.

Systems & Data Management

• Implementing and upgrading payroll systems, ensuring they meet operational and compliance needs and are compatible with other required platforms, and are suitable for offshore delivery.
• Evaluate and implement new technologies, to improve efficiency and reporting, including automation that reduces UK processing effort and supports offshore scale.
• Managing data integrity, including client codes, KYC procedures, and engagement documentation, ensuring appropriate controls for offshore access and processing.
• Driving reporting improvements, such as timesheet tracking, billing metrics, and KPI dashboards, including offshore utilisation, and quality.

Team Leadership, Development and Collaboration

• Lead the payroll services team and manage offshore delivery relationships and capacity.
• Train and mentor payroll staff, including using tools like ACT and coordinating with L&D teams, concentrating on compliance and highlighting best practice, with defined offshore training pathways.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.
• Support the progression of offshore teams into more complex payroll work, over time.
• Foster collaboration across regions, breaking down silos and encouraging knowledge sharing, to support a single national payroll delivery model.
• Support career transitions, such as moving staff into review, advisory or specialist roles, or managing departures, as delivery models evolve.

Rewards That Resonate

You’re more than a number to us; you’re an individual with unique talents and aspirations. Our benefits are designed to support your well-being, foster your professional growth, and recognise your contributions.

Agile Working: Enjoy the flexibility of core hours from 10 AM to 2 PM and two home working days, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments seamlessly.

33 days holiday Inc. bank holidays, plus the opportunity to buy or sell up to 5 days (28 days on a training contract, with the opportunity to buy 5 days)

Competitive salary package

Employee recognition awards: Outstanding Performance Award Bonus and other recognition initiatives.

New and improved programme for succession planning and supportive management structure to help you realise your potential

Employee Assistance Programme: Access a free confidential 24-hour support service, including unlimited counselling sessions and virtual doctors available for you and your family.

And lots more