Are you ready to shape the future of global payroll in a business-wide transformation programme? We’re looking for a Payroll Workstream Lead to take a pivotal role in designing and delivering payroll initiatives that support our finance vision and help build a more standardised, efficient and future-ready organisation.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead meaningful change at the heart of our global payroll landscape, influencing how processes, systems, controls and ways of working are designed for the long term.
As part of our Finance Transformation programme, you will play a key role in shaping the future payroll operating model, bringing structure, pace and expert insight to a critical workstream. You will ensure change activity is well planned, well governed and effectively coordinated through the Project Lead, while working closely with stakeholders across Finance, HR, Operations and programme teams.
This is a 2 year fixed-term contract to support the delivery of our Finance Transformation Programme.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the design of a consistent, future-ready payroll operating model across the global organisation.
- Shape the tools, systems and applications required to support streamlined, scalable payroll processes.
- Define and maintain the payroll process taxonomy, ensuring alignment with Group standards, controls and governance principles.
- Use activity analysis, baseline cost insight and process data to inform design decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Set clear workstream goals and translate them into practical initiatives, delivery plans and measurable outcomes.
- Identify and manage interdependencies, risks and issues across the payroll workstream and wider programme landscape.
- Advise on resource and budget requirements, supporting the mobilisation of teams needed to deliver planned initiatives.
- Act as the payroll Subject Matter Expert within the IFS rollout and our Finance Transformation programme, ensuring global processes, controls and ways of working are effectively embedded.
- Develop the multi-year payroll roadmap, ensuring projects meet governance standards, secure the right approvals and follow the organisation’s delivery methodology.
- Support future initiatives such as a global payroll platform rollout, UK payrolling of benefits and harmonisation of UK pay groups.
- Design standardised payroll KPIs and drive consistent measurement across operational locations.
- Champion continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to simplify, optimise and enhance end-to-end payroll processes.
- Ensure payroll-related change is supported by clear communication, strong stakeholder engagement and effective change management.
- Work in partnership with the Programme Management Office to keep workstream activity coordinated, risk-aware and delivered within agreed budget and governance expectations.
About you
You will bring strong payroll expertise, ideally with experience across global processes, systems and controls. You know how to turn complex operational requirements into clear, practical designs, and you are comfortable working in a transformation environment where standardisation, governance and continuous improvement are central to success. You will be a confident communicator who can influence stakeholders, challenge constructively and bring people with you through change. Detail matters to you, but so does the bigger picture: you are motivated by building payroll processes that are scalable, efficient, well controlled and ready for the future.
This Opportunity Would Suit Someone Who:
- Has experience designing, improving or leading end-to-end payroll processes.
- Has supported or led payroll workstreams within process improvement, ERP or systems-change programmes, with LEAN or Six Sigma experience desirable.
- Understands the complexity of global payroll and enjoys bringing structure, consistency and clarity to varied environments.
- Can influence, challenge and collaborate effectively with Finance, HR, Operations and programme teams.
- Values strong governance, high-quality documentation and the opportunity to shape a strategic roadmap with lasting business impact.
If you’re excited by the chance to lead a high-profile workstream, influence the future of global payroll and make a lasting contribution to our Finance Transformation programme, we’d love to hear from you.
Reward and benefits
- We offer a competitive salary and benefits which are designed to promote our employees financial wellbeing. Employees are also eligible to participate in a bonus plan.
- Our employees enjoy a generous holiday entitlement and an opportunity to ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ some holiday entitlement.
- Private Healthcare and Doctor@Hand (remote GP service).
- Our employees can join a defined contribution pension plan. Employees contribute either 4% or 5% of salary, the company contributes 8% or 10% depending on the employee contribution. Employee contributions can be made through salary sacrifice.
- Our Employee Assistance Programme offers practical, impartial support on everyday matters ranging from medical, financial and legal to home and family issues.
- Our Life Assurance cover is a multiple of eight times your annual basic salary.
- Product allocation so that you can enjoy our fantastic portfolio of brands.
- Our Cycle to Work scheme allows you to hire a bike for an agreed length of time, and then snap it up for a fraction of its original value. All while making savings (at least 25%) and spreading the cost.
- Every employee has the opportunity to claim up to £1,000 per year for a charity or charities for which they have raised money, volunteered their time or personally donated.
- Learning resources to help you be your best self.
