Job Description
Job Title:SAP SuccessFactors Payroll Consultant – UK Public Sector & Local Government
Location: United Kingdom
Position Type: Freelance/Contract
Experience Level: 5+ years.
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced SAP SuccessFactors Payroll Consultant with strong UK public sector and local government expertise to support the migration and transformation of existing SAP ECC/SAP HCM Payroll environments to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll (ECP) and broader SuccessFactors platforms.
The role requires extensive experience working within UK public sector and local authority environments, including understanding of public sector governance, workforce structures, unionised payroll environments, pensions administration, compliance obligations, and complex operational payroll requirements.
The consultant will provide leadership across payroll transformation, migration strategy, payroll architecture, integration delivery, governance, testing, and operational transition.
Requirements
Key Responsibilities
* Lead payroll transformation activities from SAP ECC/SAP HCM Payroll to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll (ECP).
* Conduct detailed assessments of existing payroll and HR landscapes including:
o Payroll schemas and PCRs
o Wage types
o Local authority payroll structures
o Multi-assignment employment models
o Shift and allowance processing
o Unionised workforce arrangements
o Pension processing
o Existing integrations and custom developments
* Define target-state payroll and HR architecture aligned with:
o Public sector governance standards
o Security and compliance requirements
o Enterprise integration principles
o Cloud transformation strategies
* Provide architectural guidance for:
o SAP CPI integrations
o Payroll Control Center
o Identity and access management
o Finance integrations
o Payroll reconciliation and statutory reporting
* Support payroll transformation activities involving:
o Data migration
o Parallel payroll execution
o Payroll auditing
o Cutover planning
o Hypercare support
o Operational transition
* Collaborate with payroll, HR, finance, IT, security, architecture, and programme delivery teams.
* Support governance forums, architecture assurance reviews, risk management discussions, and programme-level decision making.
* Ensure all technical documentation, support procedures, governance artefacts, and knowledge transfer deliverables are completed to agreed standards.
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Technical Skills & Experience
* Extensive experience delivering SAP Payroll and SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll transformation programmes within UK public sector and local government environments.
* Proven expertise migrating from SAP ECC/SAP HCM to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and ECP.
* Strong understanding of:
o Local authority payroll operations
o Public sector workforce structures
o Unionised workforce arrangements
o Multiple employment contracts
o Shift and overtime processing
o Payroll compliance and governance
* Expertise in:
o Payroll schemas
o PCRs
o Wage types
o Retro payroll processing
o Payroll reconciliation
o Payroll auditing
o Payroll Control Centre
* Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation and public sector compliance requirements including:
o HMRC reporting
o PAYE
o LGPS pension processing
o BACS integrations
o GDPR and public sector data governance
* Experience integrating SAP SuccessFactors with:
o Finance platforms
o Identity services
o Workforce management systems
o Enterprise reporting platforms
* Familiarity with public sector governance frameworks, assurance processes, and procurement-driven delivery environments.
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Desirable Public Sector Experience
* UK Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
* Public sector workforce governance
* Unionised payroll environments
* Multi-entity council structures
* Shared services payroll operations
* Experience working with councils, central government bodies, NHS organisations, or arm’s-length public sector organisations
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Certifications
Essential:
* SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll
Desirable:
* SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Certification
* SAP Activate Project Manager Certification
* SAP Integration Suite Certification
* SAP Security Certification
Requirements
Technical Skills Strong hands-on experience in SAP Employee Central Payroll and SAP ECC Payroll configuration, support, and migration activities. Expertise in payroll schemas, payroll functions, PCRs, wage type configuration, retro payroll calculations, statutory payroll processing, pensions administration, absences, and payroll reporting processes. Experience supporting payroll transformation initiatives involving SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central integrations, Payroll Control Center configuration, electronic payslips, payroll simulations, and payroll reconciliation activities. Familiarity with payroll data migration, payroll testing cycles, parallel payroll execution, and defect resolution processes. Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation, HMRC compliance, pensions processing, and complex payroll scenarios involving multi-contract employees. Experience working with SAP CPI integrations, payroll interfaces, and hybrid SAP environments. Ability to support issue resolution, stakeholder collaboration, documentation preparation, and operational transition activities throughout project delivery. Responsibilities Support the design, configuration, migration, testing, and deployment of SAP Employee Central Payroll solutions within complex enterprise payroll environments. Analyze existing payroll configuration and support mapping of ECC payroll functionality to the target SAP ECP solution. Configure payroll schemas, rules, wage types, payroll processing controls, and payroll operational settings aligned with approved design documentation. Collaborate with payroll SMEs, HR teams, finance stakeholders, architects, and integration teams to support delivery activities across all project phases. Participate in payroll data migration, validation, reconciliation, and defect resolution activities to ensure payroll accuracy and statutory compliance. Support unit testing, system integration testing, user acceptance testing, payroll simulation exercises, and payroll parallel run activities. Assist with payroll cutover planning, go-live preparation, hypercare support, and operational stabilization activities. Produce functional specifications, configuration documentation, test evidence, operational procedures, and knowledge transfer materials. Participate in governance meetings, project reviews, and issue management discussions to ensure successful payroll migration and transition outcomes. Certifications SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll. SAP HCM Payroll certification preferred. SAP Activate methodology certification desirable.