Manager, Payroll Operations Enablement

Manager, Payroll Operations Enablement

Role Location: Thames Valley / South East England

(within practical commuting distance of the Western Greater London / Thames Valley corridor)

Work Arrangement: On-site

Confidentiality Notice: Exact office location will be disclosed at shortlist stage only.

Salary Range: £65k-£77k depending on experience

Eligibility & Engagement Criteria

• This role requires regular in-office presence with limited hybrid flexibility; it is not a remote position
• Candidates must be locally based within a reasonable and sustainable commuting distance
• Must have the legal, unrestricted right to work in the UK
• No visa sponsorship is available now or in the future
• Permanent, direct employment only (no contract, interim, or third-party arrangements)

Role Overview

The Manager, Payroll Operations Enablement is responsible for owning the operational stability, execution, and change adoption of payroll operations across a multi-country environment.

This role focuses on how payroll operates-ensuring consistent execution, strong governance, and effective adoption of systems and process changes-rather than performing payroll processing or managing payroll team members directly. The position works closely with Payroll Managers and cross-functional partners to ensure payroll operations are stable, scalable, and operating effectively following system, vendor, or process change.

The role plays a critical part in reinforcing operating discipline, identifying and resolving operational risks, and ensuring payroll outcomes meet accuracy, timeliness, and compliance expectations.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations Stabilisation & Execution

• Own the operational stabilisation of payroll across multiple countries following system implementations, vendor transitions, or process changes.
• Ensure payroll operations are executing consistently and reliably, with a focus on accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Identify recurring operational issues, root causes, and control gaps, and drive corrective actions in partnership with Payroll Managers and relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee the transition from heightened post-change support into steady-state operations.
• Maintain visibility into operational performance, risks, and trends to support informed decision-making.

Change Management & Adoption

• Own and reinforce adoption of payroll-related systems, processes, and operating models across regions.
• Coordinate change activities including communications, training support, and stakeholder alignment in partnership with Payroll Managers and functional teams.
• Act as a central point of coordination between payroll, HR, Finance, IT, and external providers to ensure changes are executed consistently.
• Identify country-specific or operational challenges and implement practical mitigation strategies.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce operational friction, rework, and dependency on manual intervention.
• Review end-to-end payroll operating flows to improve efficiency, resilience, and control effectiveness while accommodating local requirements.
• Ensure payroll processes, hand-offs, and operating practices are clearly documented and consistently applied.

Governance, Risk & Controls

• Own payroll operational governance, ensuring issues, actions, and risks are tracked and resolved.
• Ensure payroll operations are audit-ready through strong controls, documentation, and operational discipline.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to support compliance with enterprise standards and local statutory requirements.
• Provide clear, structured updates on payroll operational performance, risks, and remediation progress.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience owning payroll operations or payroll-related operational outcomes in a multi-country environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll operating models, controls, and risk, with exposure to outsourced or vendor-supported delivery.
• Background in operational execution, stabilisation, change management, or process improvement.
• Experience working closely with Payroll Managers, HR, Finance, IT, and third-party providers.
• Comfort operating in post-implementation or post-transformation environments.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or structured improvement experience is a plus.

Key Competencies

• Payroll operations ownership and execution
• Change adoption and operational discipline
• Process improvement and risk awareness
• Cross-functional coordination
• Clear, structured communication
• Ability to hold accountability without direct people management

Success Measures

• Stable, reliable payroll operations across supported countries
• Effective adoption of payroll systems and operating model changes
• Reduction in recurring operational issues and control failures
• Clear visibility into payroll operational performance and risks
• Strong partnership with Payroll Managers and functional stakeholders

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact HR@vaco.com .

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

· the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

· licensure and certification requirements;

· office location and other geographic considerations; and

· other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).