Payroll Manager

SearchWorks; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Client-facing role

Payroll technology exposure

Job summary

SearchWorks is recruiting a Payroll Implementation Manager to lead UK payroll implementation projects for new clients. The role focuses on onboarding onto the Payroll Operate solution, guiding data migration, testing and go-live while coordinating with clients and internal specialists.

The ideal candidate brings 5+ years of UK payroll experience, strong project management skills, and detailed knowledge of RTI and UK payroll processes.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on UK payroll experience.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, compliance and end-to-end payroll operations.
• Proven experience delivering payroll implementations, migrations or transitions.
• Experience managing payroll projects within a complex, high-volume or multi-stakeholder environment.
• Strong project management skills, including timelines, risks and dependencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end payroll implementation projects for new UK clients.
• Own the implementation lifecycle from requirements through go-live and BAU handover.
• Coordinate payroll data migration, validation, reconciliation and testing.
• Manage parallel payroll runs and ensure issues are resolved before go-live.
• Provide clear progress updates to clients and internal stakeholders.

Skills

UK payroll

Stakeholder management

Project management

Payroll migration

iTrent experience

RTI

Education

CIPP or equivalent payroll qualification

Tools

iTrent

Job description

Payroll Implementation Manager – UK Payroll

Newcastle | Manchester | Belfast

Payroll Implementation Client Delivery Transformation

Our client is a globally recognized professional services organization with a market-leading Tax and Payroll practice, supporting some of the UK's largest organisations with complex payroll, technology and transformation requirements.

Its Payroll Operate team combines specialist UK payroll expertise, technology and client delivery experience to help organisations transition to new payroll solutions and build more effective payroll operations.

They are looking for a Payroll Implementation Manager to take ownership of onboarding new UK clients onto their Payroll Operate solution.

This is a client-facing implementation role rather than a traditional payroll processing position. You will manage the full implementation lifecycle, from understanding client requirements and building the implementation plan through to data migration, testing, parallel runs, first live payroll and the final transition into BAU.

The role is ideal for an experienced UK payroll professional who has already gained

implementation or project experience and wants to take the next step into a more client-facing, commercially focused and transformation-led position.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead end-to-end payroll implementation projects for new UK clients
• Own the implementation lifecycle from initial requirements through to go-live and BAU handover
• Work directly with clients to understand their payroll structure, requirements and operating model
• Build clear implementation plans, timelines, milestones and deliverables
• Coordinate payroll data migration, validation, reconciliation and testing
• Manage parallel payroll runs and ensure issues are identified and resolved ahead of go-live
• Coordinate the first live payroll and ensure a controlled transition into service
• Act as a key point of contact for clients throughout the implementation
• Manage project risks, issues, dependencies and competing priorities
• Coordinate payroll, technology, service delivery and other internal specialists to keep projects on track
• Provide clear progress updates and manage expectations across client and internal stakeholders
• Ensure a robust handover into BAU, with processes, documentation and responsibilities clearly established
• Support payroll-related financial reporting requirements, including general ledger reporting where required
• Contribute to fee estimates, budgets and commercial planning for implementation projects
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and provide practical solutions tailored to client requirements
• Support and mentor junior members of the implementation team

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of hands-on UK payroll experience
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, compliance and end-to-end payroll operations
• Proven experience delivering payroll implementations, migrations or transitions
• Experience managing payroll projects within a complex, high-volume or multi-stakeholder environment
• Strong understanding of the upstream and downstream processes that impact payroll
• Practical knowledge of:
• RTI
• Apprenticeship Levy
• iTrent experience is nice to have
• Strong project management skills, including managing timelines, risks, dependencies and multiple workstreams
• Confident dealing directly with clients and senior stakeholders
• Strong ability to build credibility and trusted relationships with clients
• Able to explain complex payroll requirements clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A proactive approach with the confidence to take ownership and drive projects forward
• Strong attention to detail, particularly around payroll data, reconciliation and implementation readiness
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of budgets, fees and project delivery

Desired skills:

• CIPP or equivalent payroll qualification
• Professional services or consulting background
• Managed payroll service / Payroll Operate experience
• Experience transitioning clients from one payroll provider or operating model to another
• Experience working with complex, multi-entity or high-volume UK payrolls
• Payroll technology implementation or transformation experience
• Experience mentoring or supporting junior team members

Why This Role?

• Lead end-to-end payroll implementations rather than focusing solely on BAU payroll
• Work directly with major UK clients and senior stakeholders
• Gain exposure to complex payroll technology, operating models and transformation programmes
• Develop your career across payroll implementation, consulting and transformation
• Take genuine ownership of projects from initial requirements through to successful go-live
• Build stronger client management, project leadership and commercial skills
• Work alongside experienced payroll, technology and transformation specialists
• Join an established Payroll Operate function with opportunities for long-term career development

If you have strong UK payroll knowledge, hands-on iTrent experience is ideal, a track record of delivering payroll implementations and the confidence to manage clients and stakeholders, this is an opportunity to move further into payroll transformation and consulting while continuing to use your technical payroll expertise.