UK Payroll Renewal Manager

Jonathan Lee Group; Essex; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Jonathan Lee Group is seeking a UK Payroll Renewal Manager for an 18-month transformation programme in Dunton, Essex. You will lead delivery of payroll changes, coordinate multiple workstreams and ensure accurate, compliant payroll processing for thousands of employees.

The role requires strong experience with payroll applications (SAP or Global View), deep knowledge of UK payroll and robust governance. On-site collaboration and cross-functional stakeholder engagement are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience with payroll applications including SAP or Global View.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll processes and statutory requirements.
• Proven governance and control mindset in transformation projects.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead payroll transformation activities and BAU change.
• Coordinate requirements, testing and deployment with stakeholders.
• Govern payroll change end-to-end with controls.
• Lead payroll testing and UAT.
• Manage project plans, risks and reporting.
• Support training and post-implementation reviews.

Skills

Payroll systems

SAP

Global View

UK payroll

Payroll controls

Excel

Job description

UK Payroll Renewal Manager - 56575 - £48.49/hr umbrella rate (Inside IR35)

Step into a role where payroll transformation truly matters. As a UK Payroll Renewal Manager, you will lead delivery during an exciting 18-month transformation programme, helping shape how payroll is delivered to thousands of employees with modern, efficient and future-ready processes. If you enjoy solving complex problems, keeping controls tight, and collaborating across business and technology teams, this UK Payroll Renewal Manager opportunity is built for you.

What You Will Do:

• Lead, prioritise and coordinate day-to-day activities across payroll transformation and business-as-usual change, acting as an escalation point for complex issues.
• Drive payroll transformation delivery, partnering with stakeholders and third-party system integrators to manage requirements and challenge designs for accuracy and compliance.
• Govern payroll change end-to-end, including requirements, testing, approvals and deployment, while maintaining payroll controls and operational stability.
• Lead and coordinate payroll testing and User Acceptance Testing (UAT), ensuring appropriate coverage and overseeing defect identification, prioritisation and resolution.
• Coordinate project plans, dependencies and milestones across multiple change initiatives, supporting go/no-go decisions through clear risk and status reporting.
• Deliver process change and deployment readiness, supporting training, documentation and post-implementation support and lessons learned.

What You Will Bring:

• Experience with payroll applications, including SAP or Global View, plus strong knowledge of UK payroll processes, statutory requirements and payroll controls.
• Proven ability to manage enterprise payroll or HR systems within transformation or change programmes, with clear governance and control mindset.
• Strong project management capability, balancing multiple priorities, tight deadlines and stakeholder expectations with confidence.
• Advanced Excel skills for analysing, reconciling and interpreting complex data, particularly where evidence and auditability matter.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex payroll and technical information for varied audiences.

This company’s transformation journey is designed to deliver meaningful improvements to payroll accuracy, compliance and operational stability. In this UK Payroll Renewal Manager role, your work supports the wider finance and HR agenda by ensuring changes are properly scoped, controlled, tested and implemented, safeguarding payroll delivery while enabling better ways of working.

Location:

This UK Payroll Renewal Manager role is based in Dunton, with on-site collaboration expected as part of the programme.