Umbrella Operations Manager

Umbrella Payroll Manager

Location:

Borehamwood (Hybrid)

Salary:
Up to £65,000

Contract:

Full Time | Permanent

About Us

Our client is a UK umbrella payroll provider, delivering reliable, compliant, and transparent payroll services to contractors and recruitment agencies. They pride ourselves on integrity, operational excellence, and a culture that supports growth while keeping compliance at the heart of everything we do.

The Role

We’re looking for a hands-on operations leader to take charge of our umbrella payroll operations. This is a senior role for someone who thrives on operational oversight, enjoys problem-solving, and has a keen eye for compliance.

You’ll be responsible for running payroll smoothly, ensuring all processes meet FCSA and HMRC standards, and shaping a team and systems that can grow with the business. This role combines leadership, strategy, and day-to-day operational ownership.

What You’ll Do:

Lead Payroll Operations

Take full ownership of umbrella payroll, from processing to reporting

Ensure payroll is accurate, timely, and fully compliant

Manage PAYE, NICs, statutory payments, pensions, holiday pay, and expenses

Be the go-to person for complex payroll and contractor questions

Maintain strong operational controls and oversight

Grow and develop a high-performing payroll team

Drive Compliance & Governance

Embed compliance across all processes and team practices

Keep documentation, controls, and audit-ready evidence up to date

Prepare for audits and inspections and ensure smooth reviews

Stay ahead of regulatory changes and implement them effectively

Collaborate with Finance and Compliance to maintain ethical operations

Champion Systems & Data Integrity

Oversee payroll systems and data management

Identify opportunities to improve processes, automate tasks, and reduce risk

Ensure GDPR compliance and secure access controls

Provide MI and insights to support operational decision-making

Lead & Develop the Team

Build a motivated, skilled payroll and operations team

Ensure training on compliance, legislation, and internal processes

Drive performance management, quality checks, and continuous improvement

Plan for team growth and succession

Support Growth & Strategy

Ensure operations can scale with business growth

Work with other teams to enable compliant, controlled expansion

Provide operational insights and advice to senior leadership
Skills & Experience

Must Have:

Extensive experience in umbrella or contractor payroll operations

Strong knowledge of FCSA compliance and HMRC payroll regulations

Experience leading payroll teams and managing operational controls

Comfortable in a regulated, audit-led environment

Excellent process, governance, and systems understanding

Nice to Have:

Hands-on experience with FCSA audits

Experience scaling operations in a growing business

CIPP qualification (or equivalent)

Who You Are

Detail-focused, with a strong compliance and risk mindset

Confident, calm, and authoritative in senior operational decisions

Trusted by colleagues and auditors alike

A leader who enjoys developing people and processes

Interested? Please apply or contact Liam on (url removed)

JGA Recruitment Group Ltd ("We") are committed to equality of opportunity for all applications regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply.

We are also committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We are a specialist payroll, HR & Reward recruitment agency and recruitment business as defined in the Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (our business). These statements together with our privacy notices set out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us