Job Description

Payroll and Benefits Manager Hybrid Working | Great Benefits | Supportive Culture

Office Locations:

Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bolton, Southport, Newcastle, Reading, Birmingham, Northampton, and Cambridge

Hybrid working available

with the flexibility to work from home and collaborate in-office when needed. We believe we offer our colleagues the best hybrid and flexible working practices, balancing working from home with time collaborating and socialising with colleagues in our modern offices.

Join us in redefining payroll and benefits for a modern, hybrid workplace

Fletchers Solicitors are seeking an experienced Payroll and Benefits Manager to lead the redesign, implementation, and continuous improvement of robust payroll processes. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a people-focused firm with a supportive culture, where youll be critical in ensuring payrolls silent running, compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements, and delivering an excellent employee experience.


Were looking for someone with proven expertise in payroll transformation, who can bring both strategic insight and hands-on capability to enhance our payroll and benefits function, and the chance to make a real impact in a forward-thinking legal business.

In return Fletchers offers:

35 hours working week Bonus scheme (subject to targets being met) 35 days holiday a year including bank holidays and Christmas Closure, you also have an option to purchase up to 3 extra days holiday per year, until you long service award the 3 days after your 5th, 7th, and 9th full year of employment Pension scheme with tax-efficient salary sacrifice option Life Assurance Policy Medicash policy to cover some dental, optical and other medical expenses Company sick pay Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and IVF schemes Flexible, agile working environment with a positive work-life balance Varied calendar of funded company social events (check out Fletchers Group on LinkedIn) Monthly voucher awardsfor winning nominees A genuinely supportive and friendly culture Ongoing training and professional development opportunities

Main Responsibilities

:

Payroll Transition & Implementation

Experience of successfully delivering major payroll transformation projects to improve accuracy, compliance, and employee experience. Successful history of managing significant payroll change initiatives, from system upgrades to structural transitions. Specify, select and implement appropriate payroll software, ensuring system integration with HR and Finance platforms. Develop efficient payroll processes, procedures, and controls. Manage data migration and reconciliation during transition. Ensure a seamless changeover with minimal disruption to colleagues

Payroll Management

Oversee the accurate and timely processing of monthly payroll for 1,500+ colleagues. Ensure compliance with HMRC requirements, PAYE, NI, pensions auto-enrolment, holiday pay, statutory payments, year-end reporting (P60s, supporting the creation of P11Ds) Maintain robust controls, audit trails, and reporting mechanisms. Act as the escalation point for complex payroll queries.

Benefits Management

Manage firm-wide employee benefits (e.g., pensions, healthcare, life assurance, cycle-to-work, flexible benefits platforms). Review, recommend, and implement new benefits to support attraction and retention. Maintain relationships with benefits providers and negotiate contracts. Ensure compliance with tax treatment of benefits and reporting obligations.

Leadership & Development

Recruit, train, and manage the payroll and benefits team. Provide strong leadership, mentoring, and performance management. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and excellent customer service.

Collaboration & Reporting

Work closely with People, Finance, and Technology to ensure systems and processes align. Produce regular management reports on payroll costs, benefits take-up, and compliance. Act as our subject matter expert for payroll and benefits.

Essential Skills and Experience:

CIPP qualified (or equivalent), and/or significant demonstrable payroll management experience. Experienced Payroll and Benefits Manager. Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, tax, and benefits compliance. Experience managing payroll for 1,500+ employees, ideally in a professional services and multi-site environment. Demonstrable experience in benefits management, procurement, and vendor management. Strong systems knowledge, including payroll software (experience of specifying, selecting and implementing software will be helpful) and HRIS/Finance integrations. Previous experience of leading and developing a team.

Skills & Competencies

Excellent leadership, organisational, and people skills. Strong analytical ability with high attention to detail and accuracy. Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to explain complex payroll issues to non-specialists. Customer-focused mindset, with a commitment to providing an excellent service to colleagues. Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive data with integrity.

We reserve the right to close this role before the date specified depending on the calibre and volume of candidates.

About Fletchers Group

Fletchers is a fast-growing, dynamic law firm specialising in personal injury and clinical negligence law, with outstanding rankings in both The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. Following several strategic acquisitions, weve evolved into the Fletchers Group, with ambitious plans for continued growth and innovation.


We aspire to be the best place to work in the legal sector.


Our workplace culture is inclusive, informal, and supportive, with a strong focus on colleague wellbeing and happiness. We are proud to offer some of the best hybrid and flexible working arrangements in the industry because we understand that balance drives performance.


At Fletchers, we also value connection and collaboration. We create exciting opportunities for teams to come together and thrive. Whether youre starting your career or aiming for leadership, youll find a clear path to progress and development here from apprenticeships and professional qualifications to senior roles and Partnership.


We seek out a broad range of challenging, high-quality legal work, enabling our people to build meaningful and progressive careers. And we dont just talk about development we invest in it, with a significant proportion of our colleagues working towards relevant qualifications at any given time.


We reward those who help build our success and live our values. Our benefits package is designed to grow with you, offering real opportunities to share in our long-term strength. Our base pay and bonus structure is built to recognise and reward high performance.


Join us and be part of a law firm thats not only growing, but redefining what it means to work in legal services.


Fletchers Group is an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce: we welcome applications from any and all backgrounds. Were committed to providing a culture and environment where everyone can thrive, understanding and celebrating that no colleague is the same. Were proud of our work on the Disability Confident scheme, and we are signing up to other diversity standards to reflect our ethos.