Head of Payroll Service & Transformation

The Head of Payroll Services and Transformation is responsible for managing the financial performance, operational efficiency, and quality of payroll services provided to an assigned group of clients. This role focuses on maintaining compliance, delivering efficient payroll processes, and supporting ongoing improvements.

The successful candidate will ensure that customer experience, colleague satisfaction, and operational standards are consistently met, while supporting continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives in payroll operations. The role also requires the effective utilisation of data insights to support decision making and on-going enhancements to services. In addition, the Head of Payroll Services and Transformation will collaborate closely with our offshore operation to ensure seamless integration, consistent service delivery, and effective communication across all teams.

In this role you will be responsible for managing the financial performance, operational efficiency, and quality of payroll services provided to an assigned group of clients. You will focus on maintaining compliance, delivering efficient payroll processes, and supporting ongoing improvements, ensuring that customer experience, colleague satisfaction, and operational standards are consistently met. You will also have the opportunity to support continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives in payroll operations. As well as utilising data insights to support decision making and the ongoing enhancements to services.

 Key Responsibilities

• To oversee and manage the payroll service operations, making sure KPI’s and SLA’s are exceeded. Plus, successful onboarding of new clients.
• Manage the financial performance of payroll operations, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and meeting efficiency targets.
• Maintain high standards in customer experience by addressing stakeholder needs, monitoring service delivery, and responding effectively to feedback.
• Support colleague engagement and development within the payroll team, fostering a cooperative and positive working environment.
• Operational excellence is maintained through process management, compliance with statutory and company standards, and implementation of control measures.
• Lead and managed the payroll teams and Managers, promoting accountability and professionalism.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for payroll compliance, governance, and best practices, providing guidance to stakeholders.
• Manage end-to-end payroll operations across multiple jurisdictions, with timely and accurate payroll processing.
• Support the implementation of transformation programs, including automation and adoption of new payroll technologies.
• Communicate payroll and transformation activities clearly to colleagues and stakeholders.
• Act as the escalation point for the resolution of customer complaints related to payroll services.
• Utilise data insights and analytics to inform decisions, monitor performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and drive operational and financial outcomes.

• Experience managing large-scale payroll operations, preferably across multiple jurisdictions.
• Knowledge of UK payroll legislation and payroll compliance requirements.
• Proven track record in supporting transformation initiatives while maintaining business-as-usual activities.
• Familiarity with payroll technology platforms and digital improvement processes.
• Strong leadership, team management, and stakeholder communication skills.
• Sound analytical and financial skills, with the ability to use data and insights for decision-making and improvement.
• A proven track record in Data-Driven Decision Making
• Professional payroll qualification (e.g., CIPP) highly desirable

At Zellis we create market-leading HR & Payroll products and services, to power exceptional employee experiences so that you and your people do better. Our multi-award-winning products pay over five million employees a year, with almost half (42%) of the FTSE 100, 50% of the top retailers and 30% of the top universities in the UK & Ireland as customers, making us the largest provider of Payroll and HR software and managed services.

Our vision is to be the clear leader in pay, reward, analytics, and people experiences. We're passionate about creating an environment where people want to join, belong to, and be part of a progressive organisation. Our values, which were defined with input from all of our 2,000 colleagues, we live and breathe every day:

• Unstoppable together.
• Always learning.
• Make it count.
• Think scale.

Our people are critical to our ongoing success; we’re proud of our inclusive culture that gives you the platform to grow, challenge the status quo and play a crucial role in further enhancing our market position as the leading provider of HR & Payroll software and services. With Zellis you’ll have the chance to stretch and challenge yourself in an environment that’s varied, flexible and hugely supportive.

We also love to reward and recognise our brilliant colleagues. As part of your benefits package, you’ll receive:

• A competitive base salary.
• 25 days annual leave, plus your birthday off and the opportunity to buy additional holiday.
• Private medical insurance.
• Life assurance 4x salary.
• Enhanced pension scheme with company contributions up to 8.5%.
• A huge range of additional flexible benefits across financial & personal wellbeing, lifestyle & leisure.