Head of Payroll Policy and Process

Date: 12 Jun 2024 Location: Noida, South Asia, IN Company: British Council
We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.

We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021-22 we reached 650 million people.

British Council Pay band 9
Salary: starting at 2,799,525 and can go upto 5,186,111 depending on skills and experience,
Other cash/non-cash benefits include:

• Group Mediclaim policy
• Group term life insurance policy
• Group accident insurance policy
• Gratuity, subject to rules
• Variable pay, subject to annual performance evaluation
• Annual Leave of 21 days, subject to policy
• Free British Council Library membership
• Annual Health Check-up

Location: Noida, India
Department: Human Resources
Contract type: Indefinite Contract
Closing Date: 26th June 2024 at 23:59 UK Time.

Interviews will be held week commencing 08th July 2024

You must have the legal right to work in India at the time of application. There is no relocation or sponsorship support.
British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.


Role purpose

The Head Payroll Policy & Process is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing and optimizing the company's global payroll processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency across all regions. This key executive will indirectly lead a team of payroll professionals, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, and implement best practices to support our global workforce.

The primary purpose and focus of the role is to ensure that Payroll Operations are standardised, efficient, compliant with all statutory obligations Internationally and locally and aligned with the British Councils business objectives. The Head Payroll Policy & Process plays a critical role in ensuring accurate and compliant payroll operations on a global scale

Role context

The Head Payroll Policy & Process reports to the Global Director - People Solutions and is responsible for the execution of the Global Payroll strategy and for the accounting, and oversight of transaction processing for the Global Payroll function utilising a team of Regional Payroll Controllers and payroll administrators. This includes managing the processing of payments and maintenance of records for all British Council operating Countries Globally, ensuring adherence to statutory compliance and the consistency of the standardised payroll policies & procedures, as defined by Global operating model and applying/supporting the requisite accounting controls and processes, develop and provide analyses and reports.
The overarching measurement of success (KPIs) are the adherence to the Global Payroll Strategy and that all payrolls are delivered effectively, accurately on time to an exemplary/high standard.
The Head Payroll Policy & Process is a key player in ensuring the smooth and compliant operation of payroll processes on a global scale. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and leadership skills to drive continuous improvement and maintain a high level of service quality for employees worldwide.

Main accountabilities

Strategy and/or Planning

• Develop and implement the global payroll strategy that aligns with the organization's business goals and objectives. This includes defining payroll service delivery models, standardizing processes, and setting performance metrics.
• Ensure consistency in payroll processes and procedures across all locations and countries where the organization operates. This will involve creating and maintaining a global payroll policy and procedure manual.
• Develop and maintain global payroll reporting and analytics capabilities to provide insights into payroll costs, trends, and discrepancies. Use data-driven insights to make informed decisions.
• Ensure that employee payroll data is secure and compliant with data privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA. Implement data security measures and access controls to protect sensitive information.
• Identify potential risks and issues related to global payroll processes and develop mitigation strategies to minimize risks. This includes disaster recovery and business continuity planning.

Relationship and Stakeholder Management

• Maintain open and effective communication with stakeholders, including finance, People function, and senior management, to ensure alignment with business objectives and to address any payroll-related issues or concerns.
• Manage relationships with external payroll service providers, ensuring quality service delivery, cost-effectiveness, and adherence to service level agreements.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and provide guidance to internal stakeholders.

Consultancy, Analysis and Problem Solving

• Stay up to date with the ever-changing payroll regulations and tax laws in various countries and regions. Ensure that payroll processes comply with all legal requirements, including tax withholding, social security, and labour laws.
• Provide training and support to payroll teams in various locations to ensure they are knowledgeable about global payroll processes, compliance requirements, and system usage.
• Oversee relationships with third-party payroll service providers, payroll software vendors, and other relevant vendors. Ensure that vendors meet service level agreements (SLAs) and deliver accurate and timely payroll services. Evaluate and select third-party payroll vendors when necessary.
• Develop and implement data quality and control measures to reduce errors and fraud risks. Maintain the confidentiality and security of payroll data.

Service improvement

• Continuously evaluate and improve payroll processes to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and lower costs. Implement best practices and benchmark against industry standards.
• Collaborate with IT and HRIS teams to maintain and enhance payroll systems and software to ensure they meet the evolving needs of the organization. Identify opportunities for automation and the implementation of best-in-class payroll systems.
• Evaluate and select payroll software and systems that can support global payroll needs. Continuously assess and optimize the performance of payroll systems to ensure efficiency and accuracy. Lead system integration projects to streamline payroll data, reporting, and employee self-service capabilities.
• Manage the budget associated with global payroll operations, including vendor costs, software licensing fees, and other related expenses, continually look for opportunities for consolidation and cost savings.

Role specific skills
There are three proficiency levels for HR skills: novice, developing and exemplary. The relevant proficiency level for this role is listed against each skill.
Data literacy

• Data driven - Grasps & uses data to make decisions and inform practice (developing).

Business Acumen

• Commercial fluency - Holds a clear understanding of organizational \xef\xac\x81nancial requirements and performance (exemplary).
• Customer understanding- Understands customer needs & applies user-centric principles (developing).

Digital Agility

• Digital aptitude - motivated to learn and experiment with digital ways of working (developing).
• Digital adoption - Creates an environment ready for digital adoption (developing).

People Advocacy

• Risk mitigation & ethics - ensure ethical conduct and compliance and mitigates people risks (developing).

Change navigation - Builds the change structures and capacity to promote change and resilience (developing).
Execution excellence

• Action Orientation - Implements actionable and adaptive plans to achieve results (developing)

Role specific knowledge and experience
Minimum/essential

• Previous experience working as a Group/Global Payroll Manager with strong functional knowledge and a minimum of 5 years payroll operation experience.
• Experience working with Business Process Outsourcing Service Providers:
• Experience of using various payroll/Pension systems and ability to adapt and learn new systems.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized.
• Develop and implement data quality and control measures to reduce errors and fraud risks.
• Ensure data protection and privacy compliance in alignment with global regulations.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a global matrix organisation
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Finance, Business, or a related field. A relevant certification (e.g., Certified Payroll Professional) is a plus.
• Clear and logical thinking under pressure and the ability to work independently and deliver strong results.
• A strong emphasis on accuracy and quality
• Flexible and adaptable to work demands within the organisation.
• Project management experience, with a proven track record of system implementations.
• Familiarity with HRIS and timekeeping systems is a plus.

Language Requirements
The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required

Professional Qualification and Certification
CIPP qualified or Significant Work Experience and Technical Competency

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement

The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.

We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.

Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Councils Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org

Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ASK HR email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.