UK Payroll Transformation Lead (18-Month Program)

Ford; Dunton Bassett; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford is leading a major UK payroll transformation and seeks a motivated leader to deliver the programme. You will steer the delivery of a new payroll system, partnering with Payroll, HR, Finance and IT, while ensuring compliance, accuracy and stability across thousands of employees.

The role is based in Dunton, with a 4-day-per-week on-site expectation and pre-employment checks. You will drive governance, testing, training and deployment of the new solution with external partners as needed.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising or leading team members and delivery workstreams.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Advanced Excel skills to analyse, reconcile and interpret complex data.
• Knowledge of UK payroll processes, statutory requirements and payroll controls.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and external partners or suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Lead, prioritise and coordinate team activities across payroll transformation and BAU change.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and support, ensuring clear ownership and delivery expectations.
• Review team outputs, develop capability and act as an escalation point for complex issues and risks.
• Lead Payroll activities supporting implementation of the new payroll system.
• Manage requirements with internal stakeholders and third-party system integrators.
• Review and challenge system designs to ensure payroll, control, statutory and end-user requirements are met.
• Develop strong system knowledge to support decision-making and delivery.
• Lead payroll changes through requirements, design, testing, approval and deployment.
• Review and approve key project documentation and ensure governance and controls.
• Assess risks, establish mitigation actions and support go/no-go decisions.
• Escalate significant risks, issues and control concerns appropriately.
• Lead and coordinate Payroll testing and User Acceptance Testing.
• Ensure UAT provides appropriate coverage of payroll requirements and controls.
• Review testing evidence and oversee defect identification, prioritisation and resolution.
• Assess significant defects and their payroll, financial, employee and compliance impact.
• Coordinate project plans, priorities, resources, milestones and dependencies across change initiatives.
• Monitor progress, identify risks and drive issues through to resolution.
• Ensure accurate project documentation and provide status reporting to management.
• Build relationships across Payroll, HR, Finance, IT and external partners.
• Represent Payroll in project, design and governance forums.
• Communicate complex payroll and technical requirements clearly to different audiences.
• Manage expectations and challenge suppliers and project teams where required.
• Lead payroll process changes and identify opportunities for simplification and automation.
• Ensure changes maintain payroll and financial controls.
• Coordinate end-user engagement, deployment readiness, training and documentation.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Payroll knowledge

Advanced Excel

Leadership

Cross-functional work

Tools

SAP

Global View

Job description

Ford is leading a major UK payroll transformation and seeks a motivated leader to deliver the programme. You will steer the delivery of a new payroll system, partnering with Payroll, HR, Finance and IT, while ensuring compliance, accuracy and stability across thousands of employees.

The role is based in Dunton, with a 4-day-per-week on-site expectation and pre-employment checks. You will drive governance, testing, training and deployment of the new solution with external partners as needed.