SAP Implementation Project Manager

Colas Ltd are a UK subsidiary of the global Colas Group, which operates in over 50 countries worldwide and employs over 55,000 people including over 1500 in the UK across multiple sites. We are specialists in highways construction and have been involved in large-scale UK and international construction projects within the highways, airfields, and marine sectors as well as offering highways maintenance services and manufacturing our own innovative surfacing products.

We hold a 'Gold Investor in People' award for continuously developing and rewarding our employees, offering excellent career potential.
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Purpose of the Role
We are seeking an experienced Project Implementation Manager to lead the implementation of SAP Success Factors Payroll into our existing HR environment. This role will oversee the end-to-end delivery, from planning and design through testing, deployment, and post-go-live stabilisation, ensuring seamless integration between payroll and current HR modules.
Main Responsibilities
The Project Implementation Manager will define and document project scope, goals, timelines, and deliverables in alignment with organisational strategy. They will develop detailed project plans, resource forecasts, and budget controls, and establish a governance framework with clear ownership, escalation paths, and approval checkpoints. The role requires close collaboration with HR, Payroll, Finance, and IT leaders to align project outcomes with business requirements, while managing relationships with SAP and the implementation partner to ensure deliverables and SLAs are met.

The successful candidate will lead steering committee and stakeholder meetings, providing transparent communication on progress, risks, and dependencies, and liaise closely with Colas Group HR Systems and Digital Solutions teams for integrations and interfaces. The position involves overseeing the configuration and integration of SAP Success Factors Payroll with existing modules such as Employee Central, Time Tracking, and Benefits. It includes coordinating data migration, validation, and transformation activities, ensuring all system interfaces with Finance, Time Management, and external third-party systems function correctly, and maintaining compliance with local payroll regulations, data security, and GDPR requirements.

The Project Manager will develop and manage testing strategies, including Unit, SIT, and UAT phases, coordinate business user participation in testing and sign-offs, and oversee the development of training materials and workshops to prepare end users and administrators. They will drive stakeholder engagement and adoption through effective communication and change management activities, ensure post-go-live support structures are in place, and track and report on project milestones, risks, issues, and KPIs.

Maintaining detailed project documentation, ensuring audit readiness, and conducting post-implementation reviews to identify lessons learned and continuous improvement opportunities are also key responsibilities.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will hold a degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Information Systems, or a related discipline. They will have at least five years of experience managing large-scale HRIS or payroll system implementations, with direct experience implementing SAP Success Factors Payroll, preferably Employee Central Payroll. A proven record of managing integrations within the Success Factors suite and to external systems is essential, along with a strong understanding of HR, payroll, and finance processes, compliance, and reporting.

Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and vendor coordination skills are required, as well as strong problem-solving, analytical, and organisational abilities.

Experience with SAP Activate methodology and project tools such as SAP Solution Manager, Jira, Smartsheet, or MS Project is desirable, along with a good understanding of Microsoft 365 Suite, including Teams.
Package Description
 
* A Salary between £60,000 and £70,000 (dependaent on experience)
 
* Our Colas Pension Scheme has combined contributions of up to 10%
 
* Life Assurance Scheme which is x4 basic salary
 
* 25 days annual leave per year + Public Holidays
 
* Holiday Purchase & Selling Scheme
 
* Hybrid Working Scheme (dependent on the role)
 
* Discounts on car leasing, holidays, cinema tickets, restaurants and much more through our online employee portal.
At Colas, our culture is guided by four core values:
Respect, Commitment, Pioneering, and Sharing. These values shape how we work, collaborate, and grow together. We believe that respect is the foundation of every relationship. By treating others as we wish to be treated, we foster fairness, transparency, and inclusion within our teams and with our clients, communities, and partners. Commitment means dedicating ourselves fully to everything we do. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and…