SAP SuccessFactors Payroll Consultant – UK Higher Education

Job Title: SAP SuccessFactors Payroll Consultant – UK Higher Education

Location: UK

Position Type: Full-time

Experience Level: 5+ years.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced SAP SuccessFactors Payroll Consultant with strong UK Higher Education sector expertise to support the migration and transformation of existing SAP ECC/SAP HCM Payroll environments to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll (ECP) and SuccessFactors platforms.

The role requires deep understanding of the operational, regulatory, and organisational complexities commonly found within UK universities and Higher Education institutions, including multi-contract employment models, academic staffing structures, pension schemes, research-funded staffing arrangements, and complex payroll processing requirements.

The consultant will provide strategic and technical leadership across payroll transformation, architecture, migration, integration, governance, testing, cutover, and operational transition activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead payroll and HR transformation activities from SAP ECC/SAP HCM Payroll to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll (ECP).
• Assess existing university payroll and HR environments including:
• Payroll schemas and PCRs
• Wage types
• Academic staffing models
• Casual and hourly paid staff processing
• Research grant-funded employment structures
• Multiple assignment and multi-contract employment scenarios
• Pension schemes and statutory reporting
• Existing integrations and custom developments

Define target-state SAP SuccessFactors payroll architecture aligned with:

UK Higher Education operational models

Enterprise integration principles

Security and compliance standards

Cloud transformation objectives

Provide guidance on:

Academic workforce structures

Term-time and seasonal payroll processing

Complex absence and leave management integration

Payroll reconciliation and auditing

Payroll control and governance

Support migration and integration activities involving:

SAP CPI

Finance systems

Student systems

Identity and access management platforms

Pension providers

HMRC interfaces

Collaborate with HR, payroll, finance, IT, enterprise architecture, security, and programme teams.

Support governance forums, testing cycles, payroll parallel runs, cutover planning, hypercare, and operational transition activities.

Ensure all documentation, support procedures, and knowledge transfer artefacts are completed to agreed quality standards.

Technical Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience delivering SAP ECC Payroll and SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll transformation programmes within UK Higher Education institutions.
• Proven expertise migrating from SAP ECC/SAP HCM to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and ECP.
• Strong understanding of:
• UK university payroll operations
• Academic employment models
• Research-funded staffing
• Multiple contracts and assignments
• Casual and temporary worker payroll processing

Expertise in:

Payroll schemas

PCRs

Wage types

Retro payroll processing

Payroll reconciliation

Payroll auditing

Payroll Control Center

Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation including:

HMRC reporting

PAYE

Pensions processing

BACS integrations

GDPR requirements

Experience integrating SAP SuccessFactors with:

Finance systems

Identity platforms

Student record systems

Enterprise data platforms

Familiarity with Higher Education governance and operational environments.

Desirable Higher Education Experience

• USS and LGPS pension processing
• Research grant workforce management
• TRAC-related workforce reporting awareness
• Integration with student and academic systems
• Experience within Russell Group or large multi-campus universities.

Certifications

• Essential: SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll
• Desirable: SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Certification
• Desirable: SAP Activate Project Manager Certification
• Desirable: SAP Integration Suite Certification

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