Lead Operations & Payroll Manager

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For over 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity. We work with people in over 150 countries and reach over 700 million people. We connect. We inspire. The Role The Lead Operations & Payroll Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for global People Operations and payroll services. The role is accountable for governance, service performance, compliance, risk management and continuous improvement across retained People teams, managed service providers, payroll vendors and other external partners. The role translates People Function strategy into a controlled and measurable operating model. It ensures that employee lifecycle and payroll services are delivered accurately, on time and in accordance with global policy, local legislation, contractual commitments and internal controls. The role leads through data, clear accountabilities and disciplined governance, while maintaining a strong focus on employee and stakeholder experience. The role also leads major transformation, vendor consolidation, automation and operating-model initiatives, including business-case development, transition planning, benefits tracking and leadership reporting. It acts as a senior escalation point for complex operational, payroll, statutory, supplier and service-delivery matters and provides advice to the PB10 Director and other senior stakeholders. The People Function delivers HR and payroll services across multiple regions, countries, legal entities and service channels. Delivery is shared between internal People teams, retained service desks, managed service providers, payroll partners, Finance, Procurement, Technology and country stakeholders. This creates a complex control environment requiring clear ownership, standard processes, reliable data and active supplier governance. The Lead Operations & Payroll Manager operates across both business-as-usual service delivery and transformation. The role oversees global operations such as AskHR governance, retained-desk activity, managed-service performance, payroll controls, vendor and invoice governance, management reporting and operational improvement. It works closely with regional Lead Operations & Payroll Managers, Payroll and People Data Managers, People Solutions colleagues and cross-functional partners. The role reports to the Director - Head of HR Operations and Payroll (PB10). It may directly or matrix-manage managers, specialists and project resources and will be expected to represent the function in leadership forums, service reviews, audits, supplier meetings and transformation governance. Main responsibilities The role translates People Operations and Payroll strategy into effective global operating models, governance frameworks, delivery priorities and clear accountabilities. It provides senior oversight of AskHR, retained HR service desks, outsourced operations and end-to-end payroll delivery, ensuring service quality, SLA performance, statutory compliance, payroll accuracy, financial controls, risk management and timely resolution of operational issues. It also leads supplier, commercial and financial governance, including contract management, vendor performance, purchase orders, invoice validation, budgets, cost optimisation and supplier payments. The role drives global transformation, vendor consolidation, service transitions, automation, digitalisation and continuous improvement initiatives. This includes developing business cases, cost-benefit models, implementation plans, risk assessments, KPIs, milestones and benefits realisation. It owns operational performance reporting, dashboards, executive insights, audit and assurance activities, using data and root-cause analysis to identify risks, capacity pressures, control weaknesses and improvement opportunities. It also ensures robust documentation, business continuity, data protection and regulatory compliance across regions. Working closely with regional and country leadership, Finance, Procurement, Technology, Legal, Risk and external service providers, the role provides strategic advice to the PB10 Director, leads governance and transformation forums, manages complex escalations and aligns stakeholders on operational priorities. It also leads, coaches and develops managers and specialists, strengthens succession planning and operational resilience, builds expertise in payroll, analytics, supplier management and controls, and promotes a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, customer focus and continuous improvement. Role specific skills * Business acumen (exemplary): connects service, risk, cost and employee experience outcomes to organizational strategy. * Data literacy (exemplary): uses operational, financial and service data to shape priorities, challenge performance and support investment decisions. * People advocacy (developing/exemplary): balances customer needs, fairness, compliance, ethics and organisational risk. * Executional excellence (exemplary): converts direction into measurable plans, sustained governance and accountable delivery. * Problem solving (exemplary): resolves complex, cross-functional issues with incomplete information and competing stakeholder interests. * Interpersonal and influencing skills (exemplary): builds alignment across senior stakeholders, suppliers and distributed teams. * Commercial and supplier management (developing/exemplary): manages performance, obligations, cost, risk and value across outsourced services. * Change and transformation leadership (developing/exemplary): leads operating-model, process, technology and behavioural change. Role specific knowledge and experience Minimum/essential * Substantial leadership experience in complex People Operations, payroll, shared services or outsourced service-delivery environments. * Demonstrated experience leading multi-country or global payroll and HR operations governance across internal teams and external providers. * Strong knowledge of payroll operations, controls, reconciliations, statutory compliance, risk management and audit requirements. * Experience managing service providers and payroll vendors through SLAs, KPIs, governance forums, corrective actions and commercial discussions. * Experience designing or improving target operating models, processes, controls, SOPs, RACI structures and escalation frameworks. * Proven delivery of transformation, transition, automation or vendor-consolidation initiatives with measurable outcomes. * Experience in preparing business cases, financial models, cost-benefit analysis, executive presentations and leadership recommendations. * Advanced analytical capability, including strong Excel and presentation skills and the ability to turn data into clear executive insight. * Experience leading managers, specialists or matrix teams across different locations and priorities. * Excellent stakeholder management, judgement, written communication and ability to operate effectively in ambiguous or high-pressure situations. Desirable * Experience of global payroll transformation, managed payroll services, payroll technology integration or HR service outsourcing. * Knowledge of HRIS, case-management, reporting and workflow platforms such as SAP SuccessFactors, SAP, C4C/AskHR or equivalent. * Experience of contracts, supplier invoice, purchase-order and financial-control governance within a global organisation. * Exposure to continuous-improvement frameworks, process automation, data visualisation or AI-enabled service improvement. * Experience working in an international matrix organisation and with senior governance or investment forums. Language Requirements * British Council systems and global processes operate in English. High-level written and verbal proficiency in English is required. Education * Degree or equivalent professional experience in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Operations, Payroll or a related discipline. Professional Qualification and Certification * Recognised payroll, HR or reward qualification (for example CIPP, CIPD or equivalent) - preferred. * Project, change or continuous improvement qualification (for example PRINCE2, PMP, Agile, Lean or Six Sigma) - desirable. * Commercial, procurement or contract-management training - desirable British Council | Pay Band 8 Location: Noida, India Department: People Function Contract: Indefinite Contract Apply by: Wednesday, Oct 30th (23:59 local time) Interview Date TBD Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in India at the time application. Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview. A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and we welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability, and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent and we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities. Safeguarding Statement The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children. If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org