Payroll Transformation Lead

Role Purpose The Payroll Transformation Lead will play a pivotal role in leading the transformation of the school’s payroll operations as part of the implementation of a new MHR HR & Payroll system. Working at the intersection of technology, process, and people, the post‑holder will lead discovery, design, testing, implementation and post‑go‑live embedding of payroll processes, ensuring the school transitions smoothly to the new system with strong governance, data integrity and minimal operational disruption. This fixed‑term role is critical in ensuring that the new payroll environment is accurate, compliant, user-friendly, and capable of supporting the school’s long‑term needs. Key Responsibilities Discovery & Analysis: Conduct a detailed review of existing payroll processes, workflows, payroll cycles, statutory payments (SMP, SPP, SPL, SSP), and pension administration practices. Analyse all employee types, pay structures, allowances, and variable elements, ensuring the new system can accommodate complexities across teaching and support staff. Review the accuracy and integrity of payroll data, identifying gaps, inconsistencies, and cleansing requirements prior to system migration. Work with HR and Finance to map all payroll inputs, outputs, reconciliations, and interdependencies, creating clear documentation to inform build decisions. Produce concise discovery reports highlighting risks, decision points, and required senior leadership input. System & Workflow Development: Collaborate with the MHR implementation team, project manager, and business analyst to design efficient payroll workflows that reflect current realities while enabling future enhancements. Provide subject‑matter expertise on payroll legislation, Teachers’ Pensions, support staff pensions, and statutory obligations to ensure accurate system configuration. Define payroll rules, pay elements, calculation logic, pension schemes, auto‑enrolment triggers, and reporting structures for build within MHR. W