ABOUT CALEDONIAN SLEEPER
Caledonian Sleeper is an iconic overnight rail journey connecting Scotland with London, operating nightly (excluding Saturdays) and serving major cities and rural destinations. With a heritage dating back to the late 19th century, we are renowned for comfort, hospitality and a unique travel experience across the UK’s scenic routes.
As a service operated on behalf of the Scottish Government, Caledonian Sleeper contributes to sustainable, convenient travel as part of the UK public sector.
Our core values - Togetherness, Respect, Integrity and Passion underpin everything we do. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the communities we serve and fosters a collaborative, respectful and passionate approach to guest experience.
THE ROLE
We are seeking a strategic Payroll Partner to lead our payroll function with clear vision, robust oversight and a focus on service improvement. You will drive a customer‑centric culture, ensure statutory compliance and enhance the colleague experience by optimising processes across wages, expenses, overtime, sickness, tax codes, pensions, and deductions.
The successful candidate will:
· Oversee the Railway Pension Scheme reassessment and gross salary updates, serving as the primary liaison with the payroll provider and CSL stakeholders and represent Payroll in audits.
· Line-manage the Payroll Lead, provide cover when needed and collaborate on pension governance and ill health matters with the Railway Pension Scheme.
· Ensure timely ONS survey submissions after each pay cycle and for annual surveys and conduct payslip reviews as part of framework checks.
· Contribute to cross‑functional people initiatives and projects within the Senior People Team.
· Lead payroll processes on behalf of the business and report to the People Experience Director.
· Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders (Finance, Compliance, external payroll provider, Railway Pension Scheme governance) to drive seamless payroll delivery.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
Regulatory Compliance and Governance
· Maintain knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and statutory obligations - ensure compliance across all payroll activities.
· Apply statutory requirements consistently - ensure alignment of payroll processes with current legal and regulatory standards.
· Participate in internal and external audits as required - support data protection and privacy requirements.
· Monitor and respond to regulatory changes - collaborate with system stakeholders to keep the Payroll System up to date through upgrades and testing.
· Promote a proactive, inclusive and customer-focused approach in payroll delivery - drive transformation and continuous improvement through performance review, benchmarking and stakeholder engagement.
Data Quality, Integrity and Reporting
· Oversee data integrity checks and end-to-end data governance across payroll processes.
· Responsible for pay accuracy and effective communication with internal stakeholders regarding pay-impacting factors.
· Lead the production of management reports to improve performance and support strategic decisions - ensure accuracy of data used in reports.
· Manage data for payroll queries from employees and managers, ensuring timely and responsive resolution.
· Produce payroll, pension and costing reports - perform robust gross-to-net checks and validation through various reporting regimes.
· Liaise with RailPen on pension-related matters (e.g., ill health) as part of pension governance where applicable.
· Ensure ONS surveys are completed after each pay cycle and for any annual surveys as required.
· Conduct a payslip review as part of framework checks.
Payroll Operations and Process Design
· Govern end-to-end payroll process design, including four weekly pay input into the standard template for the payroll provider and calendar management.
· Oversee processing of all details leading to the final payroll run (expenses, overtime, sickness, tax codes, pension contributions for RailPen etc.).
· Manage disbursement of statutory and voluntary deductions - oversee pay awards and increments with the payroll provider and participate in pay award forums.
· Determine and control Sick and Maternity pay entitlements in conjunction with the People Experience Team.
· Ensure accurate payroll production and costing, with timely sign-off and final checks - maintain full gross-to-net verification across processes.
· Agree the payroll calendar with the Payroll Lead and payroll provider - oversee P60s and P11Ds; coordinate HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) where applicable.
Stakeholder and Vendor Management
· Accountable owner of the contract with the payroll provider and CSL key stakeholders - maintain clear communication and governance cadence.
· Oversee the processing of pay awards, increments and related discussions with the payroll provider and engage in pay award forums.
· Prepare governance packs and participate in governance forums - align provider deliverables with CSL needs.
· Interact with the Senior People Team to align priorities with broader people strategies.
· Contribute to company-wide People initiatives by representing cross-functional perspectives in discussions and initiatives.
Transformation, Service Delivery and Customer Experience
· Lead transformation efforts to promote continuous improvement - foster an inclusive, proactive payroll service across CSL and partners.
· Monitor customer service standards and incorporate feedback into service design.
· Drive transformation initiatives, champion customer-focused payroll service and review performance using self-evaluation, customer and employee engagement and benchmarking.
People and Enquiries Management
· Establish and maintain processes for handling payroll enquiries - set service levels, response times and resolution quality.
· Oversee enquiries from employees and managers via telephone, email and in-person on payroll, Income Tax, National Insurance, Pension, etc.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
For the purposes of recruitment and selection the indicators below will be used in the shortlisting and assessment process for this role. You should therefore address these areas fully in your application.
Essential:
· Relevant degree level qualification (or equivalent) and membership of a professional body (e.g. CIPP) with evidence of ongoing continuing professional development.
· 3–5 years’ experience processing complex payrolls, including 1–2 years in a supervisory or management capacity.
· Knowledge of day-to-day payroll activities.
· Experience working with outsourced external payroll providers.
· Ability to analyse complex, wide-ranging information and translate it into clear strategies and plans.
· Strong written and verbal communication - able to articulate ideas clearly to diverse audiences.
· Demonstrated initiative with the ability to identify and implement effective solutions across a range of situations.
· Self-discipline and a track record of meeting strict deadlines.
· Excellent understanding of the financial issues affecting payroll and pensions.
· Strong knowledge of relevant payroll and pension legislation.
· Experience driving innovation in payroll processes.
Desirable:
· Demonstrates discretion and tact in handling sensitive post-related requirements.
· Proficiency with Excel, Word and MS Teams.
· Ability to work within time and budget constraints.
· Thorough understanding of payroll obligations, including statutory requirements and dynamics.
· Strong analytical capabilities and the ability to apply them across varied scenarios.
· Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills - experience presenting to diverse audiences on a range of issues.
OUR VALUES:
The requirements of this role align with our core values in the following ways:
· Togetherness: Collaborate across functions and with external partners to design and improve end-to-end payroll processes and deliver a cohesive CSL payroll experience.
· Respect: Ensure fair, transparent payroll practices and respectful handling of confidential information and communicate pay decisions clearly.
· Integrity: Maintain robust data governance, accurate payroll production and costing, and compliance with payroll and pension legislation, leading audits as required.
· Passion: Drive continuous improvement and transformation and champion a customer-focused payroll service.
WHY CALEDONIAN SLEEPER?
· Be part of an iconic brand with a rich heritage and a forward-looking future.
· Opportunity to shape and uplift the people experience across a nationwide service.
· Hybrid working model in a supportive, collaborative environment.
· Competitive salary and benefits package.
WHAT WE OFFER:
· 25 days annual leave (plus public holidays) (pro rated for part time)
· Free travel on Scotrail for you and eligible family members
· Free travel on Caledonian Sleeper for you and eligible family members
· Significant discount on other UK rail travel for you and eligible family members
· Allocation of “friends and family” tickets for travel on Caledonian Sleeper
· Healthcare cash plan
· HAPI Benefits membership offering discounts at selected retailers, hospitality venues and gyms etc.
· Contributory pension scheme
HOW TO APPLY:
If you are interested in this opportunity, please click Apply.
Caledonian Sleeper is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all colleagues are respected, valued, and able to thrive. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including different ages, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, neurodiversity, abilities and faiths. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. We look forward to receiving your application.
Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.
Closing date for applications will be Wednesday 15th July 2026. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens, we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.
Pay: £29,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- Do you have the right to live and work in the UK with no time limits or restrictions?
- What is your notice period?
- What are your salary expectations?
- Have you previously been employed by Caledonian Sleeper?
- Are you known to any current employees of Caledonian Sleeper?
Work Location: In person
