Payroll Analyst

W&A is supporting a Payroll Analyst opportunity within an established business environment, working as part of a wider payroll and finance function within a large, complex organisation.

Based just outside Glasgow (hybrid), the role offers the opportunity to support a broad range of payroll activity, helping to improve processes, controls and ways of working while contributing to wider business initiatives. 

The Opportunity

Working within an established payroll environment, you will provide analytical and operational support across a range of payroll activity, helping to review processes, support improvements and contribute to effective delivery.

This opportunity would suit a payroll professional who is comfortable working in a complex environment and enjoys combining payroll knowledge with analysis, stakeholder engagement and broader business activity.

Key Responsibilities

• Support delivery of the Payroll workstream, coordinating inputs, maintaining tracking and enabling effective stakeholder engagement.

• Support documentation of the payroll process taxonomy, operating principles and service expectations, ensuring process scope, responsibilities and hand-offs are clearly articulated.

• Review end-to-end payroll processes to identify improvement and standardisation opportunities, applying LEAN or similar techniques to reduce non-value-added activity and improve efficiency.

• Support root cause analysis and continuous improvement activity to improve payroll accuracy, compliance, cycle time and control effectiveness.

• Support documentation and design activity across key payroll processes, including payroll inputs, calculations, approvals, processing, reconciliations, statutory reporting and related controls.

• Support the development of payroll workstream outputs, including process requirements, KPI definitions, reporting requirements and governance materials.

• Track agreed actions and support delivery through detailed design, execution, go-live and business-as-usual handover.

• Identify and track workstream risks, issues and dependencies, including alignment with related systems, Finance and People activity.

• Support requirements and readiness activity for payroll tools, workflows and controls needed to support the future payroll operating model.

• Prepare materials and updates to support governance discussions, stakeholder communication and change activity.

About You

• Experience in business process analysis, process improvement or delivery support within a Finance, Payroll or transformation environment.

• Good process improvement capability, including experience applying LEAN or similar methodologies to standardisation, root cause analysis, waste elimination and cycle time improvement.

• Experience supporting finance change, project or programme activity, ideally within a structured delivery environment.

• Good understanding of core payroll processes, controls and compliance requirements, including payroll inputs, calculations, reconciliations, statutory reporting and associated governance.

• Strong analytical, documentation and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate insight into clear, practical outputs.

• An organised and structured approach, with strong planning skills and attention to detail.

• Confidence working with stakeholders across Finance, HR and other cross-functional teams.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, PowerPoint and Word, and comfortable operating in a change environment.

Why Apply?

• Opportunity to support a key payroll workstream within a wider Finance Transformation programme.

• Broad exposure to end-to-end payroll process improvement, standardisation, controls and governance.

• Scope to apply LEAN and continuous improvement techniques to practical business challenges.

• Work closely with stakeholders across Finance, HR and wider transformation activity.

To learn more or apply, please contact Laura Buchanan for a private and confidential discussion. Alternatively, submit your CV and we’ll be in touch.

Please note that, due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.