UK Payroll Renewal Manager

Overview

In this role you will lead the delivery of a major payroll transformation programme, replacing the current payroll application to deliver a modern, efficient service for thousands of employees. You will work within a collaborative team to shape processes, influence solutions, and ensure payroll accuracy and compliance. This 18‑month fixed project role focuses on governance, risk control, and cross‑functional delivery across Payroll, HR, Finance, and IT. You will be the primary interface driving decision‑making, stakeholder engagement, and successful go/no-go outcomes, delivering tangible impact on UK payroll services.

Responsibilities

• Lead and prioritise team activities for payroll transformation and BAU change
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and delivery accountability
• Review outputs and escalate complex issues and risks
• Drive payroll activities to implement the new system
• Manage requirements with internal stakeholders and third‑party integrators
• Challenge system designs to meet payroll, control, and statutory needs
• Coordinate payroll change life cycle from requirements to deployment
• Ensure governance and controls are applied to project documentation
• Coordinate payroll testing and UAT, ensuring adequate coverage and issue resolution
• Manage project plans, milestones, resources, risks, and stakeholder reporting
• Build strong relationships across Payroll, HR, Finance, IT, and external partners
• Represent payroll in governance forums and communicate requirements clearly
• Drive process changes for simplification, standardisation, and automation
• Oversee post‑implementation support and lessons learned

Key requirements

• Supervisory or team leadership experience
• Strong project management skills with multi‑priority handling
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving capability
• Advanced Excel skills for data analysis and reconciliation
• Logical, process‑oriented mindset
• Strong control mindset for financial, operational and compliance risks
• Ability to review requirements, designs, testing, and proposed solutions
• Experience working with cross‑functional teams and external partners/suppliers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills at all levels
• Strong stakeholder management with ability to challenge, influence and escalate
• Autonomy and accountability for delivery under time pressure
• Knowledge of UK payroll processes, statutory requirements, and payroll controls
• Experience with enterprise Payroll/HR systems including SAP/Global View
• Advantageous knowledge of Hourly Blue Book and Salary Handbook provisions

• Stakeholder management
• Communication
• Decision‑making and accountability
• SAP/Global View
• UK payroll processes and payroll controls
• Advanced Excel

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