Job reference 338738
Payroll & HR Transformation Programme Manager
Competitive salary plus car allowance, healthcare, annual bonus potential, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising with service and a company pension scheme with highly competitive contribution rates
Permanent, Full time
Hybrid working in London Farringdon x3 days a week
We are seeking an experienced Programme Manager – Payroll & HR Transformation to lead a highly complex enterprise-wide transformation programme within a large, unionised organisation.
This role will be responsible for overseeing the transformation of a payroll and HR landscape supporting over 130,000 employees, encompassing multiple payroll frequencies, extensive pay-code complexity, significant employee relations considerations, and a broad range of stakeholders across HR, Payroll, Finance, Technology and Operations.
This is a business-critical leadership role requiring an individual who has successfully delivered large-scale payroll and HR transformation programmes in similarly complex environments.
Key Responsibilities
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Lead the end-to-end delivery of a major Payroll and HR transformation programme.
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Drive simplification and harmonisation of complex payroll processes, policies and operating models.
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Manage a payroll environment comprising weekly and monthly payroll cycles, extensive deductions, benefits and pay-code structures.
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Partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, Employee Relations and Technology teams to ensure programme success.
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Build and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders, including Trade Unions and employee representative groups.
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Provide strategic leadership across programme governance, risk management, change management and delivery execution.
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Oversee third-party suppliers, system integrators and technology partners.
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Ensure business readiness, adoption and operational continuity throughout the transformation journey.
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Lead large, cross-functional programme teams within a fast-paced and highly regulated environment.
Essential Experience
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Proven track record leading complex Payroll, HR, HCM or ERP transformation programmes within large-scale organisations.
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Experience supporting workforces of 100,000+ employees.
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Extensive knowledge of payroll operations and transformation, including multiple payroll frequencies and complex pay structures.
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Experience working within highly unionised environments and managing senior Employee Relations stakeholders.
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Strong understanding of payroll, HR and finance process integration.
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Significant experience delivering large-scale technology-enabled transformations.
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Excellent executive stakeholder management and influencing skills.
Preferred Experience
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Workday HCM and/or Workday Payroll transformation experience.
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Oracle HCM and/or Oracle Payroll experience.
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Experience within retail, logistics, manufacturing, utilities, transport or other large operational workforces.
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Experience leading payroll harmonisation, standardisation or operating model transformation programmes.
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Consulting background within a major transformation practice would be advantageous.
Personal Attributes
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Strategic thinker with strong delivery focus.
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Comfortable operating in highly complex environments with multiple stakeholder groups.
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Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills.
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Resilient, decisive and able to navigate ambiguity.
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Credible leader capable of influencing at executive level.
Extra Benefits
Family friendly support - enhanced maternity pay, paternity leave, adoption leave and shared parental leave- Supportive and generous company sick pay
- Funded Dental – As a manager you are eligible to a level of employer funded dental insurance*
- Health Assessment – As a manager you are eligible to an employer funded health assessment every 2 years*
- Benefits Account – You will have access to your personal benefits account on our ‘My Bundle+’ platform. There are more than 800 retail offers to help you save on things like groceries, days out, holidays and your household bills as well as employer provided and voluntary benefits to suit your lifestyle.
- Your Wellbeing - you and your family have 24/7 access to services and tools to help you get the most out of life. From your physical and mental health to financial and social support and advice. It’s free, and it’s for everyone.
Next Steps
The next stage of the selection process will be a face to face/virtual interview consisting of competency based and role specific questions.
Trust is the foundation of Royal Mail. We aim to be transparent about the qualities we seek and what a career with us entails, building trust from the start of your journey with us. Your interview is the first step, and we want you to shine. To help you prepare, we’ll provide your interview questions in advance, so you can have your best examples ready. At Royal Mail Group, we value trust and our people.
We understand that candidates may not meet all the criteria for the role. If your experience is different, but you have relevant skills we’d love to hear from you. (delete if essential criteria only)
Royal Mail Group is committed to inclusion and representing the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals. As a proud Gold signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, we especially encourage applications from the Armed Forces community, including cadet instructors and spouses/partners.
We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to support you during the hiring process, please discuss these with your recruiter when contacted.
We are Forces family friendly and a Gold signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from ex-Armed Forces personnel, reservists, veterans, cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.
For more information on Royal Mail Group and our values please click here: https://www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/
Closing Date: 21st July 2026 Please note, this advert may close early if the appropriate number of applications has been reached.
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