Payroll Implementation Manager (FTC)

The Methodist Church in Britain; West Malling; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

25 days annual leave + birthday & day

Cycle to work scheme

Employee discounts

Career progression opportunities

Supervision and support

Job summary

Cygnet Health Care is seeking a fixed-term Payroll Transformation Lead to steer the migration from IRIS Payrite to Workday Payroll. The role covers process design, data migration, testing and go-live readiness, in a hybrid setup with two days in the office and three at home.

You will collaborate across HR, Finance and IT and work with Workday consultants and partners. Ideal candidates have payroll implementation experience, strong project governance skills and the ability to manage complex

Qualifications

• Proven payroll implementation or payroll transformation experience.
• Experience delivering payroll system implementations.
• Experience of payroll testing, reconciliation and data migration.
• Experience managing complex projects and stakeholders.
• Experience producing project documentation, RAID logs and status reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead payroll workstream of migration from IRIS Payrite to Workday Payroll.
• Lead day-to-day delivery of the payroll workstream with plans & milestones.
• Oversee payroll data cleansing, migration, reconciliation and validation.
• Own end-to-end payroll testing strategy, scripts & sign-off recommendations.
• Review and standardise payroll processes; translate requirements to Workday config.
• Ensure payroll procedures are documented and approved.
• Act as main contact for payroll implementation across stakeholders.
• Monitor progress, elevate risks, provide governance reporting.
• Coordinate payroll training, change management & user adoption.
• Lead readiness assessments and Go/No-Go decisions.
• Coordinate cutover, go-live and hypercare; transition to BAU.
• Support development of future-state payroll operating models.

Skills

End-to-end payroll knowledge

UK statutory payroll

Analytical and problem-solving

Advanced Excel & data analysis

Stakeholder management

Change management

Job description

This fixed-term post, up to 12 months, sits in the payroll team at Cygnet Health Care, one of the largest independent mental health care providers in the UK. The postholder leads the payroll workstream of the move from IRIS Payrite to Workday Payroll, covering process design, data migration, testing and go-live readiness. The work is hybrid, with two days in the office and three at home, and involves working closely with HR, Finance, IT and Workday consultants. An enhanced DBS check is required.

What the job involves

• Lead the payroll workstream of the migration from IRIS Payrite to Workday Payroll
• Lead day-to-day delivery of the payroll workstream, including project plans, milestones and critical paths
• Oversee payroll data cleansing, migration, reconciliation and validation to ensure accuracy
• Own the end-to-end payroll testing strategy, including plans, scripts, defect resolution and sign-off recommendations
• Review existing payroll processes, standardise them and translate business requirements into Workday Payroll configuration
• Ensure payroll procedures are documented and approved
• Act as the key point of contact for payroll implementation across Payroll, HR, Finance, IT, operational leaders, Workday consultants and implementation partners
• Monitor progress against timelines, elevate risks and provide governance support and project status reporting
• Coordinate payroll training, knowledge transfer and user adoption, including change impact assessments and communication plans
• Lead payroll readiness assessments and support Go/No-Go decisions
• Coordinate payroll activities during cutover, go-live and hypercare, and transition to business as usual
• Support development of future‑state payroll operating models

What’s required

Experience

• Proven payroll implementation or payroll transformation experience
• Experience delivering payroll system implementations
• Experience of payroll testing, reconciliation and data migration
• Experience managing complex projects and stakeholders
• Experience producing project documentation, RAID logs and status reporting

Skills & knowledge

• Strong end-to-end payroll knowledge
• Knowledge of UK statutory payroll legislation
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills
• Proven ability to manage priorities, mitigate risks and lead change initiatives

Checks & eligibility

• Enhanced DBS check

Nice to have

• Workday Payroll implementation experience
• Experience migrating from IRIS Payrite or similar payroll systems
• Prince2, Agile or project management qualification
• Experience working with payroll integrations and third-party interfaces
• Healthcare or multi-site organisation experience

What’s offered

• Hybrid working with two days in the office and three at home
• Contributory pension scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus an additional paid birthday and anniversary day
• Cycle to work scheme and employee discount savings
• Blue Light discount card
• Strong career progression opportunities
• Expert supervision and support