Payroll Workstream Lead

Job Introduction

We’re looking for a Payroll Workstream Lead to take ownership of the design and delivery of all payroll related initiatives supporting our finance vision. 

This role sits at the heart of modernising our global payroll processes, ensuring they are standardised, efficient and aligned with the organisation’s strategic direction. 

You will play a key part in shaping the future payroll operating model as part of a number a finance projects over the next 2 years, and ensuring all change activity is well‑planned, well‑governed and effectively co‑ordinated through the Project Lead.

Main Responsibility

• Leading the design of a consistent, future‑ready payroll operating model across the global organisation.
• Defining and shaping the tools, systems and applications needed to support streamlined payroll processes.
• Creating and maintaining the payroll process taxonomy and ensuring alignment with Group standards and governance principles.
• Establishing baseline costs and insights through activity analysis to inform future design decisions.
• Setting clear workstream goals and developing the initiatives required to deliver them, supported by robust execution plans.
• Identifying and managing interdependencies, risks and issues across the payroll workstream and wider programme landscape.
• Advising on resource and budget requirements and supporting mobilisation of teams needed to deliver planned initiatives.
• Acting as the Subject Matter Expert for payroll within a number of finance projects, ensuring global processes, controls and ways of working are correctly embedded.
• Developing the multi‑year payroll roadmap, ensuring all projects meet governance standards, secure the necessary approvals and follow the organisation’s established delivery methodology.
• Supporting future projects such as a global payroll platform rollout, UK payrolling of benefits, and harmonisation of UK pay groups.
• Designing and defining standardised payroll KPIs and ensuring consistent measurement across all operational locations.
• Keeping a continuous improvement mindset, identifying opportunities to optimise and enhance end‑to‑end payroll processes.
• Ensuring effective change management and clear communications across all payroll‑related initiatives.
• Working in partnership with the Programme Management Office to ensure all workstream activity is well‑coordinated, risk‑aware and delivered within budget.

Our Ideal Candidate

It is desirable that you are a payroll subject matter expert with a strong understanding of global processes, systems and controls. You can translate complex operational requirements into clear, structured designs and you thrive in environments where process improvement and standardisation are central. With a keen eye for detail and strong stakeholder engagement skills, you’re confident leading discussions, making recommendations and guiding teams through change. You enjoy combining technical depth with thoughtful governance and are motivated by creating processes that are scalable, efficient and future‑proof.

This Role Would Suit:

• Someone with experience designing or enhancing end‑to‑end payroll processes.
• Someone who has supported or led payroll workstreams within a process improvement, ERP or systems‑change programme (experience with LEAN or Six Sigma is desirable).
• An individual who understands global payroll complexities and enjoys bringing structure and standardisation to varied environments.
• A strong communicator who can influence, challenge and collaborate effectively with finance, HR, operations and programme teams.
• Someone who values detail, documentation and well‑governed delivery, and enjoys shaping long‑term strategic roadmaps.

If you’re excited by the opportunity to lead the evolution of global payroll and play a key role in our finance projects, we’d love to hear from you.

What we can offer you

• We offer a competitive salary and benefits which are designed to promote our employees financial wellbeing. Employees are also eligible to participate in a bonus plan.
• Our employees enjoy a generous holiday entitlement and an opportunity to ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ some holiday entitlement.
• Private Healthcare and Doctor@Hand (remote GP service).
• Our employees can join a defined contribution pension plan. Employees contribute either 4% or 5% of salary, the company contributes 8% or 10% depending on the employee contribution. Employee contributions can be made through salary sacrifice.
• Our Employee Assistance Programme offers practical, impartial support on everyday matters ranging from medical, financial and legal to home and family issues. 
• Our Life Assurance cover is a multiple of eight times your annual basic salary.
• Product allocation so that you can enjoy our fantastic portfolio of brands.
• Our Cycle to Work scheme allows you to hire a bike for an agreed length of time, and then snap it up for a fraction of its original value. All while making savings (at least 25%) and spreading the cost.
• Every employee has the opportunity to claim up to £1,000 per year for a charity or charities for which they have raised money, volunteered their time or personally donated.
• Learning resources to help you be your best self.

About William Grant & Sons

A HOME FOR RARE CHARACTERS

William Grant & Sons: a home where Rare Characters thrive.

We value every employee for their rare character, distinctive skills, experience and perspectives. Every one of our colleagues has a role to play in helping us to achieve our growth ambitions.

At William Grant & Sons, our vision is to be A home where rare characters thrive. We value all colleagues for their rare character, distinctive skills, experience and perspectives. Diversity & Inclusion is at the heart of how we do things at William Grant & Sons, fully aligned to our purpose and our company values. We strive to create an environment where we can all be our best and bring our whole selves to work.

OUR AGILE WORKING PHILOSOPHY

Our agile working philosophy is to “Have your best work day everyday”.
Built on trust, we empower our rare characters to have their best work day every day. Where flexibility and positive working experiences help employees to feel connected and release potential across our teams.
We are open to discussing possible agile/flexible working options as part of the recruitment process.

INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Diversity & Inclusion is at the heart of how we do things at William Grant & Sons, fully aligned to our purpose and our company values. We want to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive.