Payroll Team Leader

Payroll Team Leader

Reporting to:

Payroll Manager

Department:

People Services

Location:

JD Sports Fashion PLC, Hollins Brook Way, Bury, BL9 8RR

Hours:

37.5 Hours Per Week, 5 days

Company overview

Established in 1981 with a single store in the North West of England, the JD Group is a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion and Outdoor brands. The Group now has over 3,000 stores across 38 territories with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. In addition, we operate over 200 JD Gyms throughout the UK.

Role overview

As Payroll Team Leader, you will play a key role in delivering a seamless, accurate and timely payroll service for over 30,000 colleagues across the JD Group. Payroll delivery is managed through a structured leadership model, and this role is not solely responsible for the full population. You will have direct responsibility for leading up to three Payroll Executives, while working closely with Payroll Managers, an Assistant Payroll Manager and fellow Team Leaders to collectively deliver payroll outcomes. Partnering with key stakeholders across People Services, Finance, Operations and Technology, you will support operational excellence, continuous improvement and consistent delivery against agreed deadlines and service levels, with the full support of the payroll leadership team. This is a pivotal leadership role within the payroll operation, focused on empowering and enabling your team through coaching, quality oversight and clear ways of working. You will contribute to ensuring payroll delivery remains accurate, compliant and efficient, while maintaining a strong colleague‑focused approach and shared ownership of payroll performance.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing the day-to-day delivery of payroll activity within your team, ensuring accurate and timely processing in line with internal controls and legislative requirements.
• Manage and prioritise team workloads to meet key deadlines and service levels, supporting peak periods and reallocating tasks where required.
• Own the quality and accuracy of outputs produced by the team, promoting best practice and ensuring consistent standards are met.
• Coach, support and develop Payroll Associates and Payroll Executives through day-to-day guidance, training and feedback, helping them build confidence in payroll processing and query resolution.
• Monitor and analyse payroll queries and errors, implementing proactive solutions to reduce repeat issues and improve resolution times, whilst maintaining a colleague-centric approach.
• Act as a key escalation point for complex pay queries and operational issues, partnering with Payroll Managers/Assistant Managers and stakeholders to ensure timely and effective resolution.

Desirable Skills

• Experience of working with Dayforce payroll software
• CIPP or similar accredited
• Experience of mentoring a team.
• Advanced excel skills.
• Experience of analysing processes and looking for continuous improvements.

Essential Skills

• Previous experience of leading, coaching or mentoring a team within a fast-paced payroll or shared services environment.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation, with exposure to ROI and/or offshore payrolls beneficial.
• Excellent organisation and time management skills to coordinate workloads and meet key deadlines.
• People-focused with a desire to see others succeed, and the confidence to provide clear guidance and support.
• A desire to learn, continuously improve and drive positive change within payroll processes.
• A keen eye for detail and accuracy, with a focus on getting it right first time.
• Ability to keep our colleagues at the centre of all you do, ensuring queries are handled clearly and fairly.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively, supporting others to meet deadlines and deliver a consistent service.
• Excellent communication skills to break down complex pay and process queries for both colleagues and team members.

What Can We Offer You?

JD is a large, fast moving, exciting workplace. As part of the team, we will offer you full training with our in-house expertise on processing a variety of payrolls to deliver a first‑class service. We take pride in what we do and who we do it with. JD champions talent and there are opportunities to hone and develop your skills and progress within your role and within the business. We offer apprenticeship study support and opportunities to undertake funded training that leaves you with recognised payroll qualifications. We also offer in house training to support your development of skills in areas like leadership and public speaking. As a business, JD puts people at the centre. Through the JD foundation colleagues can take part in charity volunteering opportunities. The business supports your wellbeing through our departmental wellbeing champions, and health and wellbeing events and initiatives. Our employee forum also gives you a voice to tell us what’s important to you and how we can support you. Alongside that, we offer competitive benefits, including staff discount at JD and all their fascia’s, discounted JD gym membership, 28 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) increasing with each year of service, pension scheme, unlimited fruit, tea and coffee and an onsite subsidised canteen.

Diversity and Inclusion

JD values diversity and inclusion and champions a culture where everyone feels valued, included, and celebrated. We support a range of initiatives and networks to ensure all colleagues can thrive.

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