Payroll Team Lead

bp Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom

bp Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom

Job Location: Milton Keynes – Hybrid (3 days onsite & 2 days Remote)

Contract Length
:
Till 30th Sep 2026

Industry: Retail, Oil and Energy

Operations & Advisory (O&A) is an internal global shared services and technology solutions organisation within People & Culture. It is responsible for innovating & delivering HR services and solutions for bp globally, from a number of Business & Technology Centres and local delivery teams. O&A is the first point of contact for HR related matters; the team are policy, process and digital experts, dedicated to delivering the best customer experience.

The Delivery Lead, Payroll Services supervises the providing of payroll analytical and management services in support of a smooth payroll delivery in the UK, including transactional support, vendor coordination, and timely and accurate analysis of payroll related research and queries. In addition, the responsibility for leading a team of Payroll SMEs.

The Delivery Lead, Payroll Services is responsible for ensuring successful delivery of payroll in the UK. This involves holding the vendor partners to account, devising solutions to resolve issues or improve payroll services in the UK. The role requires working with partners to create improved processes, minimise risk, reduce costs and improve the quality and reliability of the service. In addition, the Delivery Lead develops the team of Payroll Specialists.

• Deputising for the Manager, Payroll Services
• Management of Payroll SMEs, ensuring they possess the necessary skills and experience to perform their roles; management of the recruitment process and conduct performance reviews, expense approvals etc.
• Approval of the monthly payroll to release the BACS payments
• Approval of the weekly BACS runs
• Monthly reporting and/or posting of various payroll related files eg uploading of employee pension contributions, GAYE, union fees etc.
• Monthly pre-payroll checking and corrections including manual adjustments
• Management of new payment codes to be set up in the pay system, testing and communication to the requestor
• Provision of documentation and knowledge share to satisfy audit requirements - Direction and solutions around problem identification and resolution
• Liaison with vendor partners to ensure prompt and accurate payroll processing and related postings
• Critical issue point of contact between vendor partners and bp to resolve process issues on either side
• Liaison with bp Tax, bp Finance, and other internal parties as needed in support of payroll related activities, providing subject matter expertise in order to support issue resolution
• Management of the over payments and reclaim process, liaising with BFHR to ensure consistent application of the Overpayment policy; submission of prior tax year adjustments with the HMRC where appropriate
• Identifying and demonstrating continuous process improvement opportunities including payroll related measures to help improve the efficiency of payroll operations through trend analysis, metrics etc.
• Ensuring local work instructions are accurate, up to date, and fit for purpose
• Leading efforts relating to ad hoc and unanticipated work requests and projects as required
• Responsible for onboarding, training, supporting and mentoring junior Payroll Specialists in BTCs
• Focusing on operational excellence, efficiency and innovation, and how to measure them
• Balancing processes and activities between locations to leverage skills and ‘follow the sun’
• Interfacing with the new team in BTC locations, and with internal stakeholders, with the optimal frequency

• Degree or professional qualification in a relevant field, or equivalent experience
• Proficiency with Excel spreadsheets
• Direct interaction/experience within an HR function preferred
• Knowledge of HR systems including ADP Global View and Workday
• Team orientated
• Highly numerate / Strong Analytical Skills

Psychological safety | Continuous learning | Legal & regulatory compliance | Stakeholder management | Continuous improvement | Organizational knowledge…