Payroll Operations & Data Analyst – Payroll Review & Transformation

Do you have hands‑on experience analysing payroll operational data to identify error patterns, investigate exceptions and establish evidence‑based root causes in complex payroll environments?

This consulting opportunity is to support our client undertaking an independent review of its payroll service and defining a sustainable future operating model. Working alongside the Lead Payroll SME, this is a hands‑on diagnostic role focused on payroll data analysis and root cause fact‑finding.

The project needs a consultant who has:

• deep hands‑on experience working with payroll operations and the end‑to‑end pay cycle in complex, high‑volume environments




• demonstrable experience interrogating payroll operational data to identify patterns, anomalies, exceptions and recurring error populations




• proven root cause investigation capability, tracing payroll issues across source data, processes, controls, systems and interfaces




• strong data manipulation and reconciliation skills, including advanced Excel.




• ability to work as an analytical specialist alongside a Lead Payroll SME within clear governance and role boundaries, turning evidence into a defensible fact base

Key services:

The key services that you will be asked to provide are:

• gather, structure and interrogate payroll data and supporting evidence, including payroll outputs, corrections, manual payments, exceptions, reconciliations and case/ticket data where available




• analyse trends, anomalies, error types and recurring populations to identify where and why payroll performance is breaking down




• trace issues through the end‑to‑end payroll lifecycle to identify likely failure points across upstream data, processing, interfaces, configuration and controls




• test emerging hypotheses and root causes against data, triangulating quantitative evidence with stakeholder interviews, process walkthroughs and system evidence




• support payroll‑cycle observation, reconciliations and control testing to assess whether issues are isolated or systemic




• maintain a clear evidence trail, documenting findings, data limitations, assumptions and unresolved questions for review with the Lead Payroll SME




• support current‑state process and control mapping and the prioritisation of tactical improvements and longer‑term recommendations, providing the analytical fact base for the Lead Payroll SME’s conclusions and future‑state design

Mandatory Requirements:

Successful consultants will be able to demonstrate:

• significant hands‑on experience analysing payroll operations data in a complex, high‑volume payroll environment




• demonstrable experience using payroll data to investigate errors and exceptions and establish evidence‑based root causes — not solely process mapping or requirements gathering




• advanced Excel and strong data manipulation and reconciliation skills, with confidence working with large payroll extracts




• practical understanding of payroll processing, corrections, manual payments, reconciliations, controls and exception management




• ability to distinguish and investigate issues arising from source data, process, system/configuration, integration/interface or control failures




• strong analytical judgement and the ability to produce clear, traceable evidence and concise findings for senior review




• experience working collaboratively across Payroll, People/HR, Finance, Technology and third parties within a clearly governed delivery team

Optional Requirements:

It will also be advantageous if you have:

• experience of Oracle Fusion Payroll and/or tools such as Power Query, Power BI or SQL would be advantageous, but is not essential.

Working Pattern:

Mainly remote (UK) with some travel to client sites across the UK.

Contract Type:

Outside IR35

Start:

Nov 2026

Duration:

4 months+

Availability:

Full-time, 5 days per week

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