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 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.
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.
Location: Noida, India
Department: People Function
Contract: Indefinite Contract
Apply by: Wednesday, Nov 18 (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.
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.
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
We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.
We uniquely combine the UK’s deep expertise in arts and culture, education and the English language, our global presence and relationships in over 100 countries, our unparalleled access to young people and influencers and our creative sparkle.
We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.
For more information, please visit: http://www.britishcouncil.org
