Payroll Implementation Consultant

James Gray Associates; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

James Gray Associates is recruiting a Payroll Implementation Consultant for a client-facing role based in Reading. The role is hybrid, with £40,000–£55,000 salary and a focus on delivering payroll projects, improving processes and controls.

You will review payroll processes, support system implementations (Workday/Oracle/SAP/Dayforce), and guide clients on compliance and best practices while building lasting relationships with stakeholders across projects.

Qualifications

• Extensive end-to-end payroll delivery experience in the UK.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, compliance and controls.
• Proficient with Excel and data analysis to investigate issues.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of client-facing payroll projects, helping organisations improve the way their payroll functions operate
• Review payroll processes, systems and controls to highlight areas for improvement and potential risk
• Support the delivery of new payroll systems and technology-led change
• Use your payroll expertise to provide guidance on compliance, processes and operational best practice
• Work with project teams and stakeholders to ensure payroll initiatives are delivered effectively
• Help prepare client proposals, tender responses and presentations as part of wider business development activity
• Build lasting relationships with clients and become a key point of contact for payroll-related advice
• Stay up to date with developments across payroll, workforce management and HR technology

Skills

End-to-end payroll

UK payroll legislation

Excel data analysis

Stakeholder communication

Tools

Workday

Oracle

SAP

Dayforce

Job description

Payroll Implementation Consultant

Salary: £40,000 - £55,000

Location: Reading

Working Pattern: Hybrid

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of client-facing payroll projects, helping organisations improve the way their payroll functions operate
• Review payroll processes, systems and controls to highlight areas for improvement and potential risk
• Support the delivery of new payroll systems and technology-led change
• Use your payroll expertise to provide guidance on compliance, processes and operational best practice
• Work with project teams and stakeholders to ensure payroll initiatives are delivered effectively
• Help prepare client proposals, tender responses and presentations as part of wider business development activity
• Build lasting relationships with clients and become a key point of contact for payroll-related advice
• Stay up to date with developments across payroll, workforce management and HR technology

Ideal Candidate

• Experienced UK payroll professional with a strong grasp of end-to-end payroll delivery
• Technically confident when it comes to legislation, compliance, controls and payroll processes
• Comfortable working with data and Excel, using it to investigate issues and support recommendations
• Familiar with modern payroll and HR systems, ideally having worked with platforms such as Workday, Oracle, SAP or Dayforce
• Able to communicate complex payroll information clearly to clients, colleagues and senior stakeholders
• Enjoys working on different projects and tackling new payroll challenges
• Ideally has some experience outside of standard payroll processing, such as implementation, systems, projects, transformation or consultancy
• International payroll knowledge would be useful but isn't essential

A strong fit for a payroll specialist who wants greater variety, client exposure and the opportunity to work across payroll technology and transformation projects.