Assistant Payroll Manager (fixed-term 18 months contract)

Lithia UK, Remote

Competitive salary, pension, critical illness, life assurance, 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), exclusive company discounts on used car purchases and aftersales services

At Lithia UK, we’re on an exciting journey to modernise and elevate how we support our people – and our move to Workday is a big part of that. We’re looking for an Assistant Payroll Manager to join our fast-paced, high-volume payroll team, supporting the Head of Payroll and leading a group of Payroll and Benefits Administrators. You’ll play a vital role in ensuring our colleagues across the UK are paid accurately, compliantly, and on time – every time.

This is a great opportunity for someone with strong technical payroll knowledge who’s ready to step up and take ownership in a people-focused, forward-thinking business.

Your Journey as an Assistant Payroll Manager:

• Ensuring all payroll data entered by administrators – including leavers, sickness, tax codes, NI codes, and colleague-funded benefits – is accurate, compliant, and correctly processed
• Overseeing statutory payment calculations such as maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
• Managing pre- and post-payroll run checks, including reconciling BACS payments, checking for compliance with National Minimum and Living Wage, and submitting accurate payments on time
• Handling key reconciliations, including pensions, PAYE, salary sacrifice, childcare vouchers, and court orders – and ensuring submissions to HMRC and L&G are accurate and on time
• Leading on P11D preparation and submission, and confidently handling company car and benefits queries
• Responding to payroll-related queries from colleagues, managers, HR Business Partners, and senior stakeholders with clarity and professionalism.
• Coaching and developing a team of Payroll and Benefits Administrators, managing appraisals, and supporting ongoing development
• Supporting salary reviews, year-end processes, systems testing, and additional projects as required

Are You Ready to Embrace the Challenge? We’re looking for someone who has:

• Strong experience in payroll operations, ideally in a high-volume, multi-site environment
• Experience with payroll systems such as ResourceLink or SAP, experience with Workday is desirable and the ability to quickly to pick up new tools
• A confident people manager with the ability to coach, support and motivate a busy team
• Proven ability to work at pace, juggle multiple priorities, and remain calm under pressure
• Hands-on knowledge of payroll legislation, P11D requirements, and statutory deductions
• Experience working with BACS software and confidently managing payroll runs from start to finish
• Excellent communication skills – written and verbal – with a customer-first mindset

At Lithia UK, our growth is powered by our people:

As one of the largest automotive retailers globally, we’re passionate about transforming the future of personal transportation and setting new standards for exceptional customer experiences. Our values—Earn Customers for Life, Improve Constantly, Take Personal Ownership, and Have Fun!—fuel everything we do. Join us, and you’ll be part of a team that embraces innovation, champions personal growth, and celebrates success together. If you're ready to make an impact in an environment that empowers you to drive change, we’d love to have you with us on this journey.

Diversity is Our Strength:

Lithia UK recognises the value that diversity brings to the workforce. This is why we positively welcome applications from all walks of life, backgrounds, and communities. If you have the motivation, skills and talent potential that we are looking for then get in touch. We are an equal opportunities employer.