Head of Payroll and Systems

The Opportunity

As part of our turnaround, we are determined to build a great place to work. We're reviewing our people systems and processes, and now we're ready to bring everything together in a more connected, joined-up way. We're looking for someone who can act as a bridge across the People function, bringing clarity to complexity, connecting our systems, data and payroll, and helping us tell a clearer story through our people insight.

You'll lead teams across Systems, Administration, Data and Payroll, each with their own manager, bringing them together into a more connected and effective shared service, and be the systems expert for the People function. You'll take ownership of our payroll processes, ensuring they are efficient, compliant and continuously improving, while improving the integration and optimisation of all our people systems to drive real value and better service for our colleagues.

Alongside this, you'll build our data and reporting capabilities, developing dashboards, people metrics, and insights that help leaders make better decisions. Across everything you do, you'll set the standard for quality and service delivery, acting as the subject-matter expert on systems, payroll, and data for the wider People and Executive teams.

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a high-performing team.
• Extensive experience of leading a team to deliver a complex payroll in a regulatory environment.
• Experience of improving and integrating HR systems, connecting platforms such as ATS and LMS, and using data and KPIs to measure performance.
• Confident working with data, able to draw meaningful insights and act as the subject matter expert on people data.
• Proven ability to lead and manage change effectively.
• Determination to thread EDI, wellbeing and engagement through everything you do.
• Experience of managing budgets and ensuring value-for-money service delivery
• A strategic thinker with the ability to plan, prioritise and improve service delivery at pace.
• Resilient by nature, with the ability to lead through ambiguity in a fast-moving, evolving environment
• Experience in managing and influencing senior stakeholders, including at the executive level.
• A collaborative approach to working across functions to deliver shared organisational priorities

This is a home-based role with an expectation of travel to our Bristol head office and Warwick approximately 2–3 times per month.

Why join us?

Hft is a values-led organisation where people genuinely look out for each other. Our People team is described as collaborative and supportive, relentlessly focused on driving improvement. Leaders dip in and out to help across areas, and there’s a real culture of working together.

This is a role where you’ll have genuine scope to make a difference, not just to how the People function operates, but ultimately to the lives of the people we support.

• Home-based with flexibility and regular team connection
• A collaborative, values-driven Senior Leadership Team
• Real scope to shape and improve. This is a building role, not a maintenance role
• The opportunity to make a tangible difference in a purpose-led charity

Selection Process

We will be shortlisting applications on an ongoing basis. Should your application be shortlisted, you will be invited to attend a pre-screening interview with a member of the senior hiring team. Should you be successful at this stage, the final assessment process will involve a competency-based interview, a presentation and the opportunity to meet with internal stakeholders to get to know the team and Hft.

We anticipate the following timelines:

• Closing date: 17th April 2026
• Pre-screening interviews: On an ongoing basis
• Final assessment: w/c 4 or 11 May

We may close this role early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are committed to recruiting people from diverse backgrounds and believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce helps us better support the people we work with to live their best lives. If there is anything we can do to support you to do your best during the application and selection process, please contact our recruitment team: Renuka.Gundala@hft.org.uk

Ready to bring it all together?

Apply now or get in touch to find out more. We’d love to hear from you.