Head - Payroll (UK & North America)

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Why we're hiring:

As a SSC NA/UK Payroll Head, you will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of payroll processing and compliance for your assigned populations’ payroll operations and liaising across WPP Shared Services to drive operational excellence. You will work closely with the HR, Finance, Legal, and SSC teams, as well as external vendors, to ensure your teams’ delivery of accurate and timely payroll while adhering to all statutory requirements. Your expertise and leadership will be crucial in maintaining employee satisfaction, mitigating compliance risks, and contributing to the overall health of the organization.

What you'll be doing:

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage payroll processing, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and accuracy of payments
• Review and approve payroll runs before sign‑off
• Manage relationships with external payroll vendors and ensure service level agreements are met
• Act as an escalation point for leadership or executive inquiries about payroll related reporting or compliance
• Drive standard work instructions and SOP adherence
• Ensure team compliance with financial regulations, tax laws, and internal governance standards
• Develop and maintain strong internal controls and financial policies to safeguard assets and ensure regulatory compliance
• Assist the Financial Controller with external audits and liaise with auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory authorities as required
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance payroll efficiency and accuracy
• Lead and manage the finance payroll team, ensuring optimal performance across all functions
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and career development opportunities for team members
• Coordinate with WPP Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis related to payroll expenses
• Work closely with the India SSC leadership to align SSC objectives with WPP strategy
  
  

KPIs

• First‑time‑right payroll (%)
• Escalation volume and ageing
• Team SLA adherence (%)
• Audit issues / control breaches
• Productivity per analyst (payrolls per FTE)
  
  

Skills And Competencies

• Excellent Communicator: Demonstrates clear and effective written and oral communication, tailoring messages to different stakeholders while maintaining professionalism and confidentiality
• Excellent Stakeholder Management Skills: Builds and maintains strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, addressing their needs and concerns while ensuring alignment with organizational objectives
• Computer Proficiency: competent in various software tools, including ADP EV6, ADP WorkforceNow, SDWorx and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Workday) and Microsoft Office Suite
• Organized and Detail-Oriented: Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and compliance in all tasks and maintaining data integrity
• Exceptional Problem-Solving, Analytical, and Decision-Making Ability: Skilled in identifying and resolving issues through analysis and critical thinking, making informed, data-driven decisions
• Strong project management skills: Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high volume, fast-paced environment
  
  

What you'll need:

• 15+ years of end-to-end USA, UK & Canadian payroll experience, including team leadership
• Proficiency in English, both written and verbal
• Strong understanding of global payroll controls and compliance
• Significant experience in a shared services setting across Finance or HR, with proven success in a leadership role
• Experience working in a shared service centre or multinational environment, managing multi-entity and multi-currency financial operations
• Understanding of regional financial regulations and compliance requirements
• Deep experience SDWorx, ADP Enterprise EV6, ADP WorkforceNow payroll processing platforms.
• Experience with service request ticketing systems is a plus.
• Experience with Workday HCM is a plus.
  
  

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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