SAP Payroll Officer (public sector)

SAP Payroll Officer – Local Authority (EC2V)

Location: London EC2V / hybrid Start: Immediate Contract: Temporary until at least November (with potential extension)Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm Rate: £160.11 PAYE / £210.55 Umbrella (flexible for strong candidates)

Role Overview

A London-based Local Authority is seeking an experienced SAP Payroll Officer to support a live payroll system implementation project within the City of London.

This is a project-focused position, and candidates must be able to contribute immediately with hands-on SAP payroll expertise. Due to the advanced stage of the programme, there is no capacity for training or upskilling.

Key Responsibilities

• Work directly within the SAP payroll system to support implementation activities
• Contribute to User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and parallel payroll runs
• Perform data validation, reconciliation, and issue identification
• Support defect tracking, troubleshooting, and resolution
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, IT teams, and external vendors
• Provide immediate value in a fast-paced project environment

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven hands-on SAP Payroll experience (mandatory – non-negotiable)
• Ability to work directly within SAP, not just exposure
• Experience supporting payroll implementations, upgrades, or migrations
• Strong experience in:
  • UAT testing
  • Parallel runs
  • Data validation and reconciliation
  • Defect resolution
• Experience working in cross-functional project teams
• Ability to operate effectively in a delivery-focused project role

Desirable Experience

• Background in public sector or local government
• Exposure to multiple payroll systems alongside SAP
• Broader experience in HR/Payroll transformation programmes

Important Notes

• This is not a BAU payroll administration role
• Candidates must have strong systems and project exposure, not just payroll processing
• Candidates with only iTrent or non-SAP payroll experience will not be considered

Rate Guidance

There is flexibility on rate depending on experience. Higher rate expectations should be supported by:

• Depth of SAP payroll expertise
• Proven experience in large-scale payroll implementations
• Strong track record in UAT, data migration, and cutover activities