Continuous improvement payroll consultant

Short term contracting opportunity - Sept/Oct 2026 - Continuous improvement payroll consultant - Public sector

Your new company
This public sector organisation, based in Sheffield, provides essential frontline services to the local community. With a strong focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement, the organisation is investing in modernising and strengthening its core payroll processes to support a complex, high-volume workforce. Collaboration across Finance, HR, IT and Payroll is central to how the organisation delivers effective and compliant services.

Your new role
As a Payroll Continuous Improvement / Process Mapping Specialist, you will lead a focused discovery and improvement project within a highly complex payroll environment. The organisation operates multiple pay cycles (weekly and monthly) with significant variable pay, overtime and allowances, supported by several in-house and standalone systems.
You will plan and deliver an intensive programme of work, including:

• Meeting key stakeholders across Payroll, HR, Finance and IT/Systems
  
• Mapping the current end-to-end ("as is") payroll process, clarifying roles, responsibilities and system touchpoints
  
• Designing and documenting the future state ("to be") processes, applying Lean / Six Sigma principles
  
• Identifying inefficiencies, risks and duplication across systems including payroll, HR and incident reporting
  
• Developing a proof of concept to demonstrate how proposed changes would improve accuracy, efficiency and control
  
• Producing a clear, prioritised action plan for implementation
  
• Facilitating workshops with operational teams to validate findings and build engagement
  

What you'll need to succeed
To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Proven experience delivering payroll or workforce process improvement projects within complex environments
  
• Strong knowledge of Lean / Six Sigma or continuous improvement methodologies
  
• Demonstrable experience of end-to-end process mapping ("as is" / "to be")
  
• An understanding of payroll complexity, including variable pay, overtime, multiple pay frequencies and manual inputs
  
• Experience working across HR, Finance, IT and Payroll functions
  
• Excellent facilitation skills, with confidence running workshops and engaging operational teams
  
• The ability to translate process issues into practical, implementable recommendations
  
• Experience within the public sector or similarly regulated environments (desirable)
  

What you'll get in return
In return, you'll receive:

• The opportunity to deliver a high-impact, visible improvement project
  
• A collaborative, professional public sector environment
  
• The chance to shape future payroll processes and influence long-term change
  
• Competitive day rate / salary, dependent on experience
  
• A Sheffield based role with clear scope, structure and stakeholder access
  
  

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
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