Payroll Manager (Implementation)

VanRath Search & Selection; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

12-16 month fixed-term contract

Flexible working arrangements

Generous holiday entitlement

Job summary

VanRath Search & Selection is seeking a Payroll Manager (Implementation) in Belfast, Northern Ireland on an initial 12-16 month Fixed-Term Contract. The role requires strong leadership of high-volume payroll operations, governance and system change, with experience in Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Payroll.

You will own end-to-end payroll delivery, drive process improvement, ensure statutory compliance and guide the Payroll Team Leaders to meet service standards.

Qualifications

• Strong practical payroll knowledge from leadership roles.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development in payroll, governance or systems/change activity.
• Experience leading high-volume payroll operations in complex service environments.
• Understanding of payroll processing, controls, reconciliations, statutory requirements and audit evidence.
• Experience leading teams of payroll specialists and setting performance standards.
• Knowledge of payroll data flows, interfaces, reporting and process controls.
• Payroll qualification or professional membership (CIPP).

Responsibilities

• Provide payroll SME input to design and development of future-state processes, controls and reporting.
• Advise on payroll rules, pay elements, deductions, pension requirements, statutory payments and audit requirements.
• Review payroll process maps, SOPs, control frameworks and cut-off calendars before go-live.
• Define and execute payroll test scenarios including unit and integration testing and regression testing.
• Review test outputs, identify discrepancies and support defect resolution prior to go-live.
• Support data migration and validation of payroll master data and related indicators.
• Direct Payroll Team Leaders on priorities, timelines, and quality standards.
• Embed robust payroll controls across the lifecycle including approvals, sign-off and audit trails.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Public sector payroll

Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Payroll

System implementation

Test planning

Process improvement

Governance & controls

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Payroll qualification (CIPP)

Tools

Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Payroll

Job description

Payroll Manager (Implementation) (JSG910) Belfast, Northern Ireland

Are you ready to play a vital role in the effective end-to-end delivery, control and continuous improvement of high-volume payroll services in one of the most trusted UK providers of payroll services? This role will initially be on a 12-16 month contract basis, well suited to a senior payroll professional who can take ownership in the role from day one.

Salary and Benefits:

• Competitive salary DOE
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Flexible working arrangements
• Initial 12-16 month Fixed-Term Contract

About you:

• Strong practical payroll knowledge gained through significant payroll leadership or senior payroll specialist experience.
• Evidence of continued professional development in payroll, people management, service delivery, compliance or systems/change activity.
• Significant experience managing or leading high-volume payroll operations within a complex service delivery environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll processing, controls, reconciliations, statutory requirements, audit evidence and payroll governance.
• Experience leading Team Leaders, payroll specialists or operational teams, including managing performance, priorities and service standards.
• Strong understanding of payroll systems, data flows, interfaces, reporting, payment files and process controls.
• Recognised payroll qualification or professional membership, such as CIPP or equivalent relevant experience.
• Leadership, management, project/change management or systems implementation training.
• Experience supporting payroll transformation, system implementation, configuration, testing, parallel runs, cutover, go-live or hypercare activity.
• Experience working with public sector payrolls or large-scale outsourced/shared services environments.
• Experience of using Oracle payroll systems, preferably Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Payroll, including payroll processing, payroll validation/reconciliation, reporting and working with integrated HR/payroll data.

What you'll do:

• Contribute payroll subject matter expertise to the design and development of future-state payroll processes, controls, workflows, reporting and operating procedures.
• Support payroll system configuration decisions by advising on payroll rules, pay elements, deductions, pension requirements, statutory payments, approval points, audit requirements and downstream outputs.
• Review and validate payroll process maps, standard operating procedures, control frameworks, cut-off calendars and payroll cycle documentation before implementation.
• Define, prepare and execute payroll test scenarios, including unit testing, system integration testing, parallel runs, user acceptance testing and regression testing.
• Review test outputs, identify discrepancies, support defect investigation and ensure payroll issues are resolved before go-live.
• Support data migration and data validation activity, including checking payroll master data, pay elements, deductions, pension indicators, year-to-date balances, costing structures and other payroll-critical data.
• Provide clear direction to Payroll Team Leaders and payroll colleagues on priorities, deadlines, quality standards, payroll controls and service expectations.
• Embed robust payroll controls across the payroll lifecycle, including input validation, approvals, segregation of duties, audit trails, reconciliations and sign-off evidence.