Contract Project Manager – Full Payroll Technology Rollout
Location: Woking (occasional onsite attendance required)
Contract: Outside IR35
Duration: Initial 3 months (with strong possibility of extension)
Sector: Restaurant, Fast Food, Retail
The Role We are seeking an experienced Contract Project Manager to lead a full end‑to‑end payroll and workforce management technology rollout within a multi‑site business. This is a delivery‑focused assignment, suited to a Project Manager with proven experience implementing new technology platforms from discovery through to go‑live and stabilisation, ideally within restaurant, fast‑food, or retail environments.
The role will involve managing the complete lifecycle of the technology implementation, including vendor coordination, business readiness, data migration, testing, and change adoption. While the role is largely flexible, candidates must be able to attend the Woking office occasionally for key workshops and stakeholder sessions.
Key Responsibilities
End‑to‑end ownership of a full payroll / workforce management technology rollout
Managing the project lifecycle from requirements gathering through configuration, testing, and go‑live
Coordinating system integration activities with internal teams and third‑party vendors
Acting as the central point of accountability across HR, Finance, IT, and Operations
Managing risks, dependencies, and cutover planning in a live operational environment
Ensuring system adoption and minimal disruption to day‑to‑day trading
Providing clear progress updates and reporting to senior stakeholdersRequired Experience
Proven experience delivering full technology implementations as a Project Manager
Strong background in payroll, workforce management, or HR systems rollouts
Experience in restaurant, fast‑food, retail, or multi‑site operational businesses
Familiarity with high‑volume, hourly paid workforces
Confident stakeholder manager with a hands‑on delivery approach
Able to attend the Woking office on an occasional basisDesirable Experience
Experience implementing platforms such as Fourth, ADP, Sage, Dayforce, Workday, Xero, or similar
Data migration, UAT, cutover, or change management exposure
Track record of delivering short‑term, outcome‑focused contract projects