Payroll Delivery Team Leader

Working pattern: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 36 hours per week (London) or 37 hours per week (Cheltenham). Due to the operational requirements of the role, attendance in the office is required and flexible or homeworking is not available.

About us

MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people, and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing, and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners including MI6 and GCHQ, to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses, and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you'll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.

The role

As Payroll Delivery Team Leader, you'll lead our pay delivery team, providing strategic direction that supports both day-to-day delivery and longer-term planning within HR Services. This is a key role where you'll have the opportunity to shape how we work, develop your team, and enhance our payroll services. Using payroll expertise, you'll oversee operations, champion continuous improvement, and help ensure we deliver an efficient and high-quality service.

As a payroll specialist, you'll oversee the end-to-end delivery of payroll, ensuring all processing, audit checks and record updates are completed accurately and on time. With compliance at the forefront, you'll ensure information is reported correctly to HMRC, support the adoption of new technologies and maintain effective processes that align with established policies and procedures. You'll also use your judgement and foresight to anticipate potential challenges, enabling teams to resolve issues proactively and maintain a seamless payroll service.

Working across a wide range of stakeholders, you'll build strong relationships with colleagues, customers and external partners, becoming a trusted source of payroll expertise and advice. Leading by example, you'll champion excellent customer service and provide clear direction in a fast-paced environment.

As a Team Leader, you'll support the development and wellbeing of your team, helping colleagues build their capability, manage competing priorities and deliver a high-quality service. Acting as a point of escalation where needed, you'll also foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. By identifying new initiatives, enhancing controls and refining processes, you'll play a key role in shaping and strengthening payroll delivery, making a meaningful contribution to the wider mission.

About you

CIPP Level 3 qualified, with experience across the full in-house payroll lifecycle, supported by a sound understanding of payroll legislation, controls and compliance requirements. Experience working with payroll and HR systems is essential.

Proven experience of leading and developing payroll teams, alongside driving continuous improvement initiatives, is essential. Proactive and knowledgeable, you'll use your specialist expertise to solve problems, resolve complex pay disputes and queries, and implement effective solutions.

To perform this role effectively, employees must be able to understand and communicate information in English, both verbally and in writing, including emails, workplace communications, meetings, discussions and other work-related documents.

Training and development

In your first few weeks, you'll receive a full induction to MI5 and our ways of working, as well as a separate induction to the HR Services team. You'll have the support of an assigned 'buddy' to help you settle into the role, as well as your line manager and experienced colleagues to answer any questions you might have.

We'll support your ongoing professional development, too. You'll have access to internal and external training courses, including management training and role-specific learning. Plus, you'll have support if you wish to pursue your CIPP Level 4 qualification.

Rewards and benefits

You'll receive a starting salary of £49,346 in London or £46,918 in Cheltenham, plus a range of benefits including:

• 25 days' annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service and an additional 10.5 days' public and privilege holidays
• opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• a dedicated development budget
• an interest-free season ticket loan
• a cycle to work scheme
• facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• paid parental and adoption leave

Equal opportunities

At MI5, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: people from different backgrounds, age groups, ethnicities, gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as those with different ways of thinking and people with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions.

We therefore welcome