Payroll Manager

Salary: £47,665 - £50,908 a year
Location: The Council House
Hours: 37 Hours a week
Closing Date: 15th November 2026
DBS Requirement: No
Contract Type: Permanent

Derby City Council is looking for a Payroll Manager to lead three key functions within the Council’s HR Shared Services team; these are payroll, pensions and employee benefits. The role is critical to ensuring that the Council’s employees and sold-service customers are paid on time.

Based at the Council House in Derby, the role presents an opportunity to make a real impact within the organisation by identifying and leading projects to deliver efficiencies across the Council’s processes and systems.

This is a varied role: the Councils pays 6570 people across 17 payrolls, administers 3 pension schemes and manages several employee benefits contracts.

The Opportunity
In the role of Payroll Manager , here’s an example of what you’ll be doing to make an impact:
• Effectively leading a multi-disciplined team of 12 across Payroll, Pensions and Employee Benefits, embedding a culture of high performance and building resilience across the teams
• Ensuring accurate and timely end-to-end payroll processing, compliant with legislation and Council policies – this includes full accountability for the end-to-end payroll cycle, BACS production, RTI submissions and finance interfaces
• Managing the Council’s employee benefits contracts to deliver best-value whilst helping to strengthen the organisation’s reward offering
• Maintaining and developing sold services, such as with schools that utilise the Council’s Payroll service
• Identifying and initiating projects to deliver savings and efficiencies across the function
• Updating and delivering policy and process updates across the team, to the organisation or externally when required
• Staying up-to-date with payroll, pensions and benefits legislation and relevant employment law
• Proactively developing and upskilling the team to build resilience and ensure the function maintains a high level of service provided to the organisation

About you
To be successful in this role, you’ll ideally have...

Experience of managing end-to-end payroll processing in a large/complex organisation (including running payroll, BACS production, RTI submissions and costing ledger interfaces
Skilled in interpreting and applying payroll, pensions and benefits legislation
A motivational people leader that can develop skills and drive performance within the team
Project management skills and the ability to influence and a wide range of stakeholders
Good IT skills, with the ability to analyse and interpret data
The excellent interpersonal and customer service skills that are essential to successfully managing sold-services

Who We Are
At Derby City Council, we're proud to deliver over 250 essential services that support our residents, communities and businesses. Guided by our vision to create an Inclusive, Green, Growing and Vibrant City, we put people at the heart of everything we do.

Our values shape how we work every day. We believe in Great People, One Team, we're Bold in embracing change, Strong in delivering for our communities, and We Care about making a positive difference.

Join us and you'll be part of an ambitious, collaborative organisation where you can develop your career while helping to shape Derby's future.
Why join Derby City Council?
At Derby City Council, you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference while building a rewarding career in an organisation that values, supports and invests in its people.
Alongside the opportunity to help shape the future of Derby, you'll benefit from a comprehensive range of employee benefits, including:

Financial Benefits
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) – a secure, defined benefit pension with life cover
• Team Derby Rewards – discounts across a wide range of retail, leisure and lifestyle brands
• Tusker Car Benefit Scheme – a salary sacrifice scheme for leasing a brand-new, fully maintained and insured vehicle
Work-Life Balance
• Generous annual leave, starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days after five years' service (plus bank holidays, depending on your contract)
• The option to purchase additional annual leave
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements for many roles
• Flexible retirement options, where eligible
• Support for colleagues with caring responsibilities
Learning and Development
• Learning and development opportunities, with regular career conversations to support your growth
• Leadership and management development programmes, mentoring and professional qualifications
• Modern workspaces designed to support collaboration, productivity and wellbeing
Health and Wellbeing
• Employee Assistance Programme, wellbeing support and a year-round wellbeing calendar
• Free annual flu vaccinations
• Cycle2Work Scheme and free cycle training
Community and Inclusion
• Up to 15 hours of volunteering leave each year
• Recognition through initiatives including the Here for Derby Awards and Long Service Awards
• The opportunity to join one of our Employee Networks, including LGBTQ+, Disabled Employees and Carers, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Employees, and Neurodiversity

At Derby City Council, we believe our people are our greatest strength. Whatever stage you're at in your career, you'll be joining an inclusive organisation where you'll be supported to develop, feel valued and make a meaningful difference to the communities we serve.

Some benefits are dependent on your role, contract or length of service.

How to apply
If you would like to apply for this vacancy via an application form, please submit an application via the Derby City Council website.

The closing date for this vacancy is specified at the top of the advert. Applications received after midnight on the closing date will not be accepted.

Interview dates: 27th November 2026
Interview location: The Council House

Applying using your CV
We recognise that people apply for roles in different ways and want our recruitment process to be as accessible and inclusive as possible. If you would prefer to apply using a CV rather than completing an application form, please complete the attached Declaration Form and send it, together with your CV, to [email removed]

When applying by CV, please ensure your CV clearly demonstrates how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role. We strongly recommend that you also include a supporting statement outlining how you meet the essential criteria set out in the person specification, as this will help us assess your suitability for the post.

Applications submitted by CV must include a completed Declaration Form to be accepted. The Declaration Form can be found at the bottom of this advert.

We also encourage you to complete the attached Equalities Form and return it to [email removed]. This is entirely optional and will not affect the outcome of your application.

Important Information
Links to the full Job Description and Person Specification are available below.

Before submitting your application, please read ourguidance on completing the application form and ensure your supporting statement clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification.

All employees will normally be appointed to the minimum of the grade fo