Compensation and Benefits Manager
| Posting date: | 09 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £80,000.0 to £85,000.0 per year |
| Additional salary information: | 80000 |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 16 March 2026 |
| Location: | City of London, London, EC2v 6db |
| Company: | Hays Specialist Recruitment |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 4777580_1773052766 |
Summary
Your new company
You'll be joining a forward‑thinking, people‑centred organisation with an international footprint and a strong focus on operational excellence. The business is committed to delivering a high‑quality employee experience and is investing heavily in improving its HR, payroll, and benefits operations. You'll be part of a collaborative HR function that values innovation, continuous improvement, and strong cross‑functional partnerships.
Your new role
As the Payroll & Benefits Lead, you will take ownership of both UK and international payrolls, ensuring they are delivered accurately, compliantly, and on time. You'll manage outsourced payroll vendors, oversee monthly governance and reconciliations, and act as the main contact for all payroll‑related queries.Alongside payroll, you'll manage the full lifecycle of employee benefits programmes, including healthcare, pensions, risk benefits, wellbeing initiatives, and salary sacrifice schemes. You'll lead on annual renewals, vendor negotiations, benefit communications, data accuracy across systems, and ongoing process optimisation. You'll work closely with Finance, HR, brokers, and external partners to ensure a seamless and engaging employee experience.
What you'll need to succeed
- Strong experience managing end‑to‑end UK payroll; international payroll exposure beneficial
- Proven ability to work with outsourced payroll providers and hold vendors to account
- Solid understanding of statutory, tax, and regulatory requirements
- Experience handling payroll adjustments including back pay, severance, off‑cycle runs, and benefits deductions
- Previous experience administering and improving employee benefits programmes
- Confidence managing brokers and suppliers, with strong negotiation skills
- Strong analytical skills with a focus on accuracy, compliance, and process improvement
- Excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to communicate clearly at all levels
- Experience with HRIS/payroll integrations and reconciliations is desirable.
What you'll get in return
You'll join a business that genuinely values its people and offers the autonomy to shape and improve payroll and benefits processes. Expect a supportive team, opportunities to collaborate across HR and Finance, and the chance to play a key role in driving operational excellence. Competitive benefits package, opportunities for development, and flexibility around hybrid working are also on offer.
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
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