Director, UK Payroll Operations
Our Story
In July 2019, Fourth joined forces with HotSchedules to become the global leader in end-to-end restaurant and hospitality management technology solutions. Together, the merged company now represents the world’s largest and only provider of end-to-end restaurant and hospitality management solutions for customers across the globe and of all sizes, from a single location or franchisee restaurant to a global restaurant or hotel chain. The combined company’s complete software-as-service (SaaS) solution suite including scheduling, time & attendance, applicant tracking, training, inventory management / procurement, HR / benefits and payroll services now serves customers in 120,000 locations worldwide and is supported by a dedicated, unified team across offices in the US, UK, Bulgaria, China, Australia, and UAE.
Interested in joining our smart, fun, and talented team?
Position Overview
Senior operational leadership role with full accountability for the quality, compliance, and performance of Fourth’s UK payroll service delivery. This is a strategic position — the Director sets the direction for how the function operates, continuously raising the bar on service quality, efficiency, and team capability.
Owns end-to-end payroll: accuracy, compliance, client service, technology, and team development
Member of the EMEA operational leadership team — contributes to cross-functional strategy
Senior point of contact for complex, escalated, or strategically significant payroll matters
Directly manages the Payroll Leadership team
Primary Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Development
Lead and develop the Payroll Leadership team; ensure workload distribution and SLA delivery
Coach, mentor, and performance-manage at all levels; build succession depth
Set clear performance expectations tied to service quality and client outcomes
Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement
Lead the function through periods of change with minimal service disruption
UK Payroll Compliance & Regulatory Governance
Maintain Fourth’s UK payroll compliance framework: PAYE, RTI, NI, statutory payments, auto-enrolment
Oversee all year-end activities: P60s, P45s, P11Ds, Apprenticeship Levy
Manage auto-enrolment compliance across all client groups, including The Pensions Regulator obligations
Proactively monitor the regulatory landscape (HMRC policy, Employment Rights Act) and translate change into operational action
Maintain strong internal controls: segregation of duties, audit trails, error detection
Operational Excellence & Service Delivery
Define, implement, and continuously improve payroll processing policies, procedures, and controls
Own the end-to-end payroll delivery model — ensuring it is robust, documented, and resilient
Monitor SLA performance across all client groups; use data to identify risk and drive intervention
Lead resolution of complex, escalated, or high-impact payroll issues
Develop departmental reporting that gives leadership and clients clear visibility of performance and risk
Systems, Technology & Process Optimisation
Provide operational leadership for payroll system implementation, maintenance, and enhancement
Ensure effective integration of payroll-adjacent applications (time & attendance, self-service portals, client interfaces)
Partner with Product and Technology to identify automation and standardisation opportunities
Lead or contribute to payroll technology migrations, maintaining service continuity throughout
Use system reporting to inform resourcing decisions and embed evidence-based management
Client & Stakeholder Engagement
Build and maintain senior client relationships; act as operational point of contact for escalations and complex matters
Proactively engage clients to anticipate risk and ensure delivery meets or exceeds expectations
Serve as Fourth’s subject matter expert on UK payroll in client-facing conversations and commercial discussions
Maintain strong cross-functional partnerships across HR, Finance, Product, Technology, and Sales
Strategic Contribution
Contribute to EMEA operational leadership: business planning, commercial decisions, UK service strategy
Represent UK Payroll Operations in cross-functional forums and product roadmap discussions
Partner with the SVP, EMEA and peer directors on org design, headcount planning, and investment prioritisation
Preferred Experience and/or Qualifications
Essential
Significant senior-level experience leading a UK payroll operations function
Deep, current knowledge of UK payroll legislation: PAYE, RTI, National Insurance, statutory payments, auto-enrolment, HMRC compliance
CIPP qualification (or equivalent demonstrable expertise)
Proven ability to design and continuously improve payroll processes and internal controls at scale
Experienced people leader — builds, develops, and holds accountable a payroll operations team
Strong client-facing capability — comfortable engaging HR Directors, Finance leads, and senior stakeholders
Analytically rigorous — uses data to manage operational risk and provide credible insight to leadership
Technically proficient with payroll/HR systems; experience leading or contributing to technology implementations
Strong cross-functional collaborator across Product, Technology, HR, and Finance
Desirable
Experience in a SaaS, technology, or managed payroll bureau environment
Familiarity with hospitality industry payroll complexity (variable hours, high volume)
Experience with Fourth’s technology, or comparable enterprise payroll platforms
Experience managing payroll through significant regulatory change
Demonstrable contribution to senior leadership or operational steering beyond the payroll function
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, HR, or related field; postgraduate qualification an advantage
Benefits
🏖 Holidays. We all need to rest so you get 25 basic holidays with the option to grow up to 30 with service + your birthday off + bank holidays!
⌚️ ️Flexible working! Use our flexible working hours and hybrid working environments to manage it.
🧘♀️ Wellness activities and a lot of pampering included. On top of that, you can add gym subscription discounts.
💻 Laptop and equipment.
🏥 Healthcare expense claim tools!
📔 Like in life, at work we also want you to grow with certifications.
🎉 Annual meet ups!
👥 Enhanced parenting scheme!
🚲 Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan provided.
🏦 Pension and life insurance? Several, for you to choose what looks convenient.
💷 On demand pay tools for you to be able to access salary even before the end of the month!
All personal data provided by you in your application will be processed by Fourth LTD solely for our recruitment purposes. More information on Fourth LTD's privacy policy for job candidates is available here and by applying you confirm that you have read it.
Fourth is an Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without discrimination because of sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, age, national origin, military status, religion, or disability or any other legally protected status.
- Department
- Payroll (Fourth)
- Role
- Payroll Bureau
- Locations
- Macclesfield
- Remote status
- Hybrid
- Employment type
- Full-time
Macclesfield
