People Operations & Payroll Manager

About this role

Role Purpose The People Operations & Payroll Manager will be the operational backbone of our People function, ensuring that payroll, employee administration and core People processes are delivered accurately, efficiently and on time. This is a genuinely hands-on role for someone who is highly organised, comfortable working with systems and data, and enjoys supporting people. Alongside coordinating the team and wider People Operations activity, the successful candidate will personally manage key operational responsibilities, including payroll processes, employee administration and HR systems.

This position is not suited to someone looking for a purely managerial role focused primarily on delegation and oversight. We are looking for someone who wants to remain close to the work, take direct ownership of deliverables, resolve operational issues and lead through their own contribution as well as through others. The role covers payroll, onboarding, contracts, employee changes, benefits administration, HR systems, mobility, immigration and offboarding.

It will also identify practical opportunities to simplify processes, improve accuracy and reduce manual administration through better systems, automation and appropriate use of AI. We are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys making People Operations work well. This person will take pride in creating order, maintaining accuracy and ensuring employees receive reliable and helpful support. The successful candidate will be naturally organised, attentive to detail and comfortable managing multiple deadlines and recurring processes.

They will take ownership of their responsibilities, anticipate potential issues and follow actions through to completion without needing continual direction. They will be practical, approachable and service-minded, with the patience to support employees and the confidence to work effectively with senior stakeholders. When something goes wrong, they will remain calm, investigate the details and focus on finding a workable solution.

Key Responsibilities: Payroll and People Operations Delivery: Manage the end-to-end monthly payroll process across multiple countries, working closely with Finance, internal stakeholders and external payroll providers. Prepare, check and submit accurate payroll data, including new starters, leavers, salary changes, bonuses, absences and other employee changes. Complete payroll reconciliations and checks, investigate discrepancies and ensure issues are resolved promptly.