Payroll Implementation Manger

Cygnet Group; Kings Hill; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Cygnet Group seeks a Payroll Transition Project Manager to lead the end-to-end implementation of new payroll systems, manage vendor relationships, data migration and parallel testing, ensuring seamless and compliant transitions.

You will define scope, manage budgets/risks, and oversee change management to move payroll processes from legacy systems to BAU operations. Strong experience in payroll transformations and Workday/IRIS Payrite is required.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in payroll transformation or system implementations (e.g., Workday, IRIS Payrite).
• Strong understanding of payroll operations, compliance, and employment law. Must have knowledge of Workday payroll and IRIS Payrite software.
• Expertise in project planning tools, milestone tracking, and RAID (Risks, Actions, Issues, Decisions) logs.

Responsibilities

• Own full lifecycle governance of payroll system implementation (initiation to hypercare).
• Coordinate with vendors and internal teams for system configuration, data migration, and validation.
• Lead UAT and parallel payroll runs, documenting current and future state processes.
• Identify and mitigate risks including compliance, financial, and operational risks.
• Develop training materials and support BAU transition for payroll staff.

Skills

Workday

IRIS Payrite

Payroll operations

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Education

PMP

Prince2

Tools

MS Project

Excel

Job description

Helping others improve and turn their lives around – there’s no better feeling. It’s what we do for thousands of people at more than 150 sites across the UK. Be a part of it.

A Payroll Transition Project Managerto lead the end-to-end implementation of new payroll systems, managing vendor relationships, data migration, and parallel testing to ensure seamless, compliant transitions. They define scope, manage budgets/risks, and oversee change management (training, communication) to move payroll processes from legacy systems to BAU operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Governance:Own the full lifecycle (initiation, design, build, test, go-live, hypercare) of payroll systems.
• System Implementation:Coordinate with vendors and internal teams (IT, HR, Finance) for system configuration, data migration, and validation.
• Process & Testing:Document current/future-state processes and lead User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and parallel payroll runs.
• Risk Management:Identify and mitigate risks, including compliance, financial, and operational risks.
• Change Management:Develop training materials and support the transition to Business-As-Us-ual (BAU) for payroll staff.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Experience:Proven experience in payroll transformation or system implementations (e.g., Workday, IRIS Payrite).
• Knowledge:Strong understanding of payroll operations, compliance, and employment law. Must have knowledge of Workday payroll and IRIS Payrite software.
• Project Management:Expertise in project planning tools, milestone tracking, and RAID (Risks, Actions, Issues, Decisions) logs.
• Communication:Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to bridge gaps between HR, IT, and Finance teams.

Common Qualifications

• Project Management Certification (e.g., PMP, Prince2).
• Payroll Certification or relevant professional qualification.

What next?

If you care about making a difference – we want to talk to you.