Deputy Head of HR & Payroll in London

ALTEN is a global engineering and technology consultancy operating across over 35 countries worldwide. We partner with industry leaders across sectors including Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Naval, Automotive, Energy, Rail, IT and many more to deliver innovative engineering solutions that drive technological advancement and support sustainable transformation.

The Deputy Head of HR & Payroll is responsible for leading and overseeing the HR and Payroll operations across three UK entities within the shared service. Working closely with the Head of HR, the role ensures the delivery of a consistent, compliant, and high-quality HR service. The role focuses on harmonisation of processes and policies, operational excellence, team leadership, effective risk management, and continuous improvement across the shared-service function.

• HR & Payroll Operations Management
  • Oversee day-to-day HR and Payroll operations to ensure an efficient, accurate and timely service across all three UK companies.
  • Ensure full compliance with UK employment legislation, internal policies, ISO requirements, and Group standards.
  • Manage and improve the end-to-end payroll process, ensuring deadlines are met and data submitted by the HR team is accurate and complete.
  • Maintain high standards of data integrity across all HR/Payroll systems and ensure appropriate audit controls are embedded and consistently followed.
  • Act as the primary operational point of contact for HR and Payroll escalations, ensuring timely and appropriate resolution.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Lead, manage and develop the HR and Payroll operations team, ensuring performance objectives, development plans and regular feedback are in place.
  • Foster a high-performing culture focused on accuracy, customer service, accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Ensure the team delivers against agreed SLAs and service standards, monitoring performance and addressing gaps as required.
• Harmonisation & Policy Management
  • Drive the harmonisation of HR practices, processes, policies and employee documentation across the three companies.
  • Review, update and maintain HR policies to ensure legislative compliance, alignment with Group policies, and consistency across entities.
  • Support the implementation of change initiatives, including organisational restructures, policy roll-outs, and process optimisation.
• Employee Relations (ER)
  • Manage and advise on sensitive and high-risk ER cases, ensuring compliance with UK employment law and best practice.
  • Provide coaching and guidance to HR colleagues and managers on ER policies, procedures and case handling.
  • Escalate complex or high-risk matters to the Head of HR where necessary.
• Diversity, Inclusion & Employee Experience
  • Actively support and promote diversity and inclusion initiatives across the organisation.
  • Contribute to improving employee experience through operational excellence, fair processes, and consistent service delivery.
• Systems, Tools & Process Improvement
  • Identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiencies, leading the design and implementation of new ways of working.
  • Ensure HR reporting, metrics and management information are produced accurately and on time, supporting organisational decision-making.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
  • Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders across the three companies, providing reliable guidance and operational support.
  • Work in close partnership with the Head of HR on strategic and operational initiatives, acting as a trusted deputy when required.

• Essential:
  • Strong experience in HR operations and payroll management within a UK environment.
  • Sound knowledge of UK employment law and payroll legislation (CIPD level 7).
  • Proven experience managing teams in a fast-paced environment.
  • Demonstrable experience managing complex employee relations matters.
  • Strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Experience in process improvement and implementing HR and/or payroll systems.
• Desirable:
  • Experience working within a shared-services model.
  • Experience of ISO audits or similar compliance frameworks.
  • Experience with HR reporting and data analytics.

In short you get: A personalised career path and a rewarding management style, a huge diversity of engineering projects and industries, Private Medical Insurance, Cycle & Tech Scheme, Employee assistance programme, Life insurance & Pension Scheme, Social atmosphere, regular gatherings & team buildings, Flexible way of working (role dependent).