Project Manager - Finance Transformation

GCS Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

GCS Recruitment has a London-based opportunity for a Senior Project Manager / Transformation Lead to drive a major global payroll transformation. The role is hybrid (London office 2–3 days per week) and initially a 12‑month contract, with potential extension.

You will partner with Finance and Shared Services sponsors to deliver multi-country changes and system integrations. The role requires executive-level delivery leadership, hands-on involvement, and the ability to manage governance, budgets

Qualifications

• 15+ years in complex transformation programmes.
• Finance transformation or payroll transformation experience.
• Experience delivering multi-country programmes.
• Strong governance, budgeting, risk and dependency management.
• Proven ability to lead globally distributed teams and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and delivery oversight across the global payroll transformation programme.
• Work with executive sponsors across Finance and Shared Services to align priorities.
• Lead governance activities, including 30/60/90-day reviews, reporting and forward planning.
• Oversee payroll consolidation, parallel runs, testing, cutover and stabilisation.
• Drive transition from local payroll to centralised Shared Services.
• Manage programme risks, issues, dependencies, budgets and milestones.
• Coordinate globally distributed teams across the UK, North America and APAC.
• Oversee external implementation partners and commercial commitments.

Skills

Programme leadership

Global payroll transformation

Multi-country delivery

Stakeholder management

Governance & risk management

Budget & commercial management

Vendor management

Communication & influence

Job description

Senior Project Manager - Finance Transformation

Location: London (Hybrid - 2-3 days per week in the office)

Contract: 12 months initially, with potential an extension

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager / Transformation Lead to provide senior delivery leadership within a major global payroll transformation programme for a leading international organisation.

The programme involves consolidating payroll operations across 35 countries into a single global cloud-based payroll solution, alongside transitioning locally managed payroll support into a centralised Shared Services model.

With the first wave of countries entering parallel run, the organisation is looking for an experienced individual to work closely with senior Finance and Shared Services sponsors, providing leadership, coordination and delivery oversight across the programme.

This is a senior position requiring someone who can operate confidently at executive level while remaining hands-on and closely involved in delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and delivery oversight across the global payroll transformation programme.
• Work closely with senior executive sponsors across Finance and Shared Services, ensuring alignment on priorities and key decisions.
• Lead programme governance, including 30, 60 and 90-day reviews, reporting and forward planning.
• Oversee global payroll consolidation, implementation, parallel runs, testing, cutover and stabilisation.
• Drive the transition from local payroll operations to a centralised Shared Services model.
• Manage programme risks, issues, dependencies, budgets and delivery milestones.
• Coordinate globally distributed teams across the UK, North America and Asia-Pacific.
• Manage third-party implementation partners and commercial commitments.
• Oversee dependencies with the wider PeopleFusion HCM programme, particularly employee data and system integrations.
• Identify delivery challenges and proactively develop practical solutions.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Around 15+ years' experience managing complex transformation projects, programmes or portfolios, with strong hands-on delivery experience.
• Proven experience in finance transformation, global payroll transformation or large-scale enterprise systems implementations.
• Experience delivering complex, multi-country transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of global systems implementation, integration, testing, cutover and transition.
• Excellent senior stakeholder management and influencing skills, including engagement with executive sponsors and senior Finance leaders.
• Experience managing programme governance, budgets, risks, dependencies and commercial matters.
• Proven ability to lead globally distributed teams and manage external implementation partners.
• Strong communication, leadership and problem-solving skills.

Desirable Experience

• Global payroll systems and transformation programmes.
• ERP implementations such as SAP, Oracle, Workday or similar.
• Finance operating model transformation and Shared Services transitions.
• HR / HCM transformation and system integrations.
• Knowledge of payroll and wider finance processes.
• PRINCE2, APM, PMI or MSP qualifications.