Operations Improvement Manager – Payroll

Job Title: Operations Improvement Manager – Payroll

Location: Preston. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: £55,000 + depending on experience

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead a team of 3–5 people dedicated to enhancing payroll systems and processes
• Drive improvements to make the payroll function more streamlined, efficient, and fit for the future, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and risk mitigation
• Introduce automation and modern tools to simplify and optimise workflows
• Provide insights into Payroll operational performance
• Deliver training and support across the wider business to embed best practices in process improvement
• Use data and metrics to monitor performance and recommend enhancements
• Collaborate closely with other departments to ensure payroll processes align with broader business objectives
• Lead and embed Payroll scope changes

Your skills and experiences:

Essential

• Proven experience in business operations improvement and/or process optimisation, ideally within a fast-paced operational environment
• Familiarity with payroll processes or previous experience within a payroll function
• Experience in understanding end to end processes across multiple functions and teams

Desirable

• Experience of managing or supervising a small team
• Knowledge of Payroll system change and improvements
• Good knowledge of Lean Six Sigma principles and their practical application in streamlining processes

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Pay and Reward Management Team:

This is an exciting opportunity to step into a brand-new role within the payroll function, with the scope to make a real and lasting impact. You’ll have the opportunity to lead a small team and shape how process improvement and operational excellence are delivered across payroll. The role is varied and dynamic, involving collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders across different areas of the business. If you’re seeking a challenging leadership position where you can drive change, influence key projects, and contribute to the ongoing success of the payroll function, this role presents a rewarding and impactful career step.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 7th July 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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