UK Payroll Renewal Manager

Overview

In this role you will lead a multi-disciplinary payroll transformation project to replace the current payroll application and deliver a modern, compliant service for thousands of employees. You’ll coordinate Payroll, HR, Finance, IT and external partners to shape new processes, governance and automation. You will manage delivery, quality assurance, and post-implementation support, ensuring payroll accuracy and regulatory compliance. This is a 18-month, high-visibility initiative within a collaborative, change-driven environment. You’ll influence solutions and drive a tangible impact on the future of UK payroll.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate payroll transformation activities across the project and BAU changes
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and clear ownership expectations
• Review outputs, build capability and escalate complex issues and risks
• Drive requirements gathering and manage third-party system integrators
• Challenge system designs to meet payroll, control, statutory and end-user needs
• Governance: oversee change through design, testing, approval and deployment
• Lead Payroll testing and UAT, ensure coverage of requirements and controls
• Coordinate project plans, resources, milestones and dependencies
• Manage stakeholders and maintain clear status reporting to management
• Identify opportunities for process simplification, standardisation and automation
• Oversee end-user training, deployment readiness and post-implementation lessons learned

Key requirements

• Strong project management skills with multiple priorities and tight deadlines
• Analytical and problem-solving capability
• Advanced Excel with data reconciliation and interpretation
• Logical, process-oriented mindset
• Strong control mindset for financial, operational and compliance risks
• Ability to review and challenge requirements, designs and testing outcomes
• Excellent written and verbal communication across all organisational levels
• Stakeholder management with ability to influence and escalate
• Autonomous work style with accountability for delivery under time pressure

• Stakeholder management
• Effective communication
• Problem-solving
• PowerBi
• Power Automate
• SAP/Global View

…