Payroll Delivery Lead

Delivery Lead (Payroll System) / £450pd - £475pd / 6 Months / Manchester / Hybrid (1/2 days every 2 weeks) An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Delivery Lead to play a pivotal role in a major ERP transformation programme based in Manchester. This position offers the chance to take ownership of the delivery and implementation of Zellis HCM Air Payroll, supporting a large-scale workforce through a critical period of change.

Delivery Lead (Payroll System) / £450pd - £475pd / 6 Months / Manchester / Hybrid (1/2 days every 2 weeks)

Keywords: payroll transformation, ERP programme, system configuration, parallel run planning, UAT support, go-live readiness, stakeholder collaboration, complex payroll systems, integrated HCM systems, delivery leadership

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Delivery Lead to play a pivotal role in a major ERP transformation programme based in Manchester. This position offers the chance to take ownership of the delivery and implementation of Zellis HCM Air Payroll, supporting a large-scale workforce through a critical period of change. The successful candidate will be instrumental in ensuring the seamless configuration, testing, and launch of the payroll solution, working closely with both technical and operational teams.

• Take charge of delivering a new payroll system as part of a significant ERP transformation programme, ensuring all aspects from configuration to go-live are expertly managed.
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders across multiple teams, providing hands-on support and acting as the in-house expert during a demanding delivery phase.
• Enjoy flexible working arrangements and the opportunity to contribute to an inclusive environment that values your expertise and commitment.

What you'll do:

As Payroll System Delivery Lead, you will be at the heart of an ambitious ERP transformation programme. Your day-to-day responsibilities will see you guiding both technical specialists and operational staff through each phase of the new payroll system’s introduction. You will provide essential support during configuration management, oversee parallel run planning and execution, and ensure thorough preparation for user acceptance testing (UAT) as well as go-live readiness. By building strong relationships across teams and acting as a dependable presence during high-pressure periods, you will help maintain focus on key priorities. Your ability to communicate complex information clearly will be invaluable when liaising with suppliers or presenting updates to stakeholders. Success in this role means not only delivering a robust payroll solution but also fostering trust and collaboration throughout the journey.

• Provide structured, hands-on support to the payroll team throughout every stage of the system delivery process, ensuring clarity and confidence among all involved.
• Act as the primary liaison between internal teams and external suppliers, representing organisational interests and maintaining alignment on priorities.
• Build strong working relationships across the programme by keeping stakeholders informed, engaged, and focused on shared delivery goals.
• Familiarise yourself with existing payroll configurations, clearly communicating their structure and function to all relevant parties while overseeing any remaining tasks.
• Own the planning, coordination, and execution of parallel runs for payroll processing, defining success criteria and managing timelines meticulously.
• Ensure all calculations, rules, and integration points within the payroll system are correctly configured, thoroughly documented, and fully understood by stakeholders.
• Conduct comprehensive unit testing across all payroll configurations prior to user acceptance testing (UAT), identifying potential issues early.
• Lead efforts to reconcile results during parallel runs, swiftly resolving discrepancies to ensure accuracy ahead of go-live deadlines.
• Support extensive UAT activities by coordinating test script creation, covering complex payroll scenarios including absence management.
• Triage and prioritise defects identified during UAT, collaborating closely with subject matter experts and system partners to drive timely resolutions.

What you bring:

To excel as Payroll System Delivery Lead, your background should include substantial experience implementing complex payroll solutions within large organisations—ideally those integrating with separate HCM systems. Your proven ability to coordinate parallel runs and lead projects through go-live phases will set you apart. You bring deep knowledge of statutory elements such as absence management alongside practical familiarity with UAT processes involving multifaceted scenarios. Your interpersonal skills enable you to build rapport quickly across diverse teams while your methodical approach ensures nothing is overlooked during critical stages. You thrive when supporting others through change—offering reassurance while driving progress—and your clear communication style makes you an effective bridge between technical experts and operational users alike.

• Demonstrable experience delivering payroll systems that are fully integrated into separate human capital management (HCM) platforms for organisations with 2,000+ employees.
• Expeirence with Zellis HCM Air Payroll and Dynamics HCM.
• Proven track record leading or supporting parallel runs and managing successful payroll go-lives under tight deadlines.
• Extensive understanding of end-to-end payroll processes including statutory requirements and absence management complexities.
• Experience working within user acceptance testing (UAT) environments involving intricate scenarios requiring careful attention to detail.

The role is offering up to £475pd for 6 months, requiring only 1 - 2 days a fortnight on site. If you're interested, please apply below!

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