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Payroll Project Manager | £300 per day | 6-Month Contract | Atherstone (Office-Based)Start Date: ASAP | Vendor Optimisation Project | High-Impact Interim Role
Are you an experienced Payroll Project Manager with a strong background in vendor management and process optimisation? We're seeking a skilled professional to lead a key project for a Warwickshire-based business, optimising the relationship with an outsourced payroll provider to ensure better value and more efficient processes for the company.
This is a flexible, standalone, office-based contract role where you'll take full responsibility for reviewing and enhancing payroll operations, managing the third-party provider, and ensuring payroll is delivered seamlessly for c.850 employees. The position offers part-time or full-time options, with a minimum commitment of 3 days per week, but open to more flexibility depending on your availability.
Location: Atherstone, Warwickshire (Fully Office-Based)Rate: Up to £300 per day (outside IR35, depending on experience)Contract: 6-Month Interim, Part-Time or Full-Time (minimum 3 days per week, flexible hours)Start: ASAP
The Role:
As Payroll Project Manager, you will lead a comprehensive review and improvement of the outsourced payroll function. Working closely with internal teams (HR, Finance), your goal will be to identify inefficiencies, streamline processes, renegotiate service-level expectations, and ensure the provider meets agreed-upon performance standards.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the assessment, optimisation, and enhancement of the outsourced payroll function
- Act as the primary point of contact between internal teams and the payroll provider
- Review and analyse current payroll processes, data flows, and service performance to identify gaps and improvement opportunities
- Ensure accurate, timely payroll delivery for approximately 850 employees
- Develop and implement clear KPIs, performance metrics, and service-level agreements with the provider
- Manage escalations and issue resolution with the payroll provider to ensure smooth operations
- Support audits, compliance checks, and internal reporting
- Provide recommendations to improve cost-effectiveness, service quality, and overall process efficiency
About You:
- Proven experience in payroll project management, particularly in managing relationships with third-party payroll providers
- Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation, pensions, and compliance
- Experience analysing contracts and managing vendor relationships to optimise performance
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Strong Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, and data analysis (IRIS experience is a plus)
- Self-driven, organised, and comfortable managing a complex project with multiple stakeholders
- Available for minimum 3 days per week onsite in Atherstone - own transport required due to the location
Contract to Permanent Opportunity:
While this is an interim contract role, there is potential for the position to transition to a permanent role at a lower level, depending on performance and business needs. If you're looking for a longer-term opportunity, this could be a great way to make an impact and establish yourself within the business.
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Macildowie are a recruitment business working on behalf of a client to recruit this role. Your personal data may be forwarded to that client company as part of the application process.
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Macildowie is a specialist recruitment consultancy with a rich history of enhancing the careers of professionals across the Midlands and the Northern Home Counties. We have an unrivalled understanding of the local market place and recruit for the majority of the region's premier employers. To search for all of our live jobs please visit us at macildowie.com.
