Head of Payroll

Finance

Location: Uxbridge Salary: Up to £60k per annum. A recruitment and retention payment may be offered for a strong candidate Post Type: Full Time Release Date: Tuesday 13 January 2026 Closing Date: Sunday 25 January 2026 Interview Date: To be confirmed Reference: 2078

HRUC (Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges) is a successful merged college group, based across 5 vibrant campuses. We offer high quality courses, apprenticeships and programmes for young people.

We are seeking a Head of Payroll to lead payroll operations for the College Group, reporting to the Finance Director and working in close partnership with an outsourced payroll bureau.

Key Responsibilities

• Accountable for management of the outsourced payroll bureau service, managing service delivery, performance, and contract compliance
• Ensure payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with HMRC, pension schemes (e.g. TPS, LGPS), and employment legislation
• Responsible for the review and quality assurance of all payroll administration, reports and documentation; authorising all payments, amendments and deductions in line with the College Pay Policy and ensuring that all payments have been applied correctly through the bureau service.
• Collaborate closely with HR, Finance and other departments, producing data and analysis as needed.
• Producing payroll information for internal and external audits and surveys
• Manage payroll-related projects, including system changes and legislative updates
• Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and internal guidance
• Provide expert advice and escalation support on payroll queries and complex cases

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years’ experience of Payroll and experience of managing a Payroll department
• Experience of running a payroll / bureau service in a corporate, public sector or education environment
• Experience of being responsible for a payroll of c.1300+ employees
• Experience of handling a large volume of work, with high complexity
• Experience of administering a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll developments and legislation
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

This post is based at Uxbridge Campus, with a requirement to travel to and work from other college sites as required. There may be an opportunity for hybrid working of 1 day per week after a settling in period, subject to business need.

Please note, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Notice For Recruitment Agencies

HRUC operates with a managed service provider (MSP) for recruitment services. We do not accept unsolicited emails, CVs, or contact from recruitment agencies. Any CVs or information sent to HRUC outside of this process will not be considered or acted upon, regardless of the terms and conditions stated by the agency.

Equal Opportunities

HRUC is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from all people, irrespective of disability, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, transsexual or gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, religion/faith or pregnancy and maternity leave.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

HRUC (Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge Colleges) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and we expect all staff to share this commitment. To ensure that we meet our safeguarding commitments we will carry out all necessary pre-employment checks, including undertaking an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check for all successful candidates.

Where references are taken up by the College, it is our policy not to disclose references to candidates.