Payroll Consultant at British Council (2 Openings)

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.
 
We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Payroll Consultant

Job ID: 48786
Locations: Abuja (FCT) and Lagos 
Contract Duration: One (1) Year Fixed Term Contract

The Role

• The Payroll Consultant is responsible for end-to-end payroll processing and compliance across multiple countries within the region.
• The postholder ensures all payroll activities are executed accurately, timely, and in accordance with statutory, policy, and audit requirements.
• Operating within the People Services & Solutions (PS&S) shared-services model, this role partners closely with the Managed Service Provider (MSP), Finance, and HR teams to ensure the integrity of payroll data, service excellence, and strong governance.
• The Payroll Consultant also drives process improvements, automation, and continuous-improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and employee experience.

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following
Payroll Processing:

• Manage the end-to-end payroll cycle for assigned countries, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
• Review and validate employee data from MyHR and other sources to prepare for payroll runs, proactively identifying discrepancies and ensuring data integrity.
• Coordinate with the MSP, Finance, and HR to ensure readiness for payroll processing, approvals, and payment.
• Execute payroll calculations manually (for non-outsourced payrolls) or through vendor systems, verifying outcomes for accuracy.

Compliance & Governance:

• Ensure payroll operations comply with statutory, tax, and social-security regulations in each country.
• Liaise with government bodies for statutory submissions, inspections, and queries.
• Maintain full documentation for audit readiness and participate actively in internal and external audit reviews.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management:

• Coordinate daily with the MSP and local payroll vendors to ensure SLA adherence, accuracy, and proactive issue resolution.
• Support quarterly vendor governance meetings and performance reviews
• Collaborate with Finance, Advisory, Reward, and People Data teams to ensure integrated service delivery.

Case Management:

• Manage payroll-related queries and tickets through the case-management platform (e.g., C4C), ensuring prompt, professional, and compliant responses.
• Maintain comprehensive case records for audit and reporting.
• Identify recurring issues and propose process improvements to prevent reoccurrence.
• Collaborate with other functions to resolve complex or cross-functional cases impacting payroll accuracy or timelines.

Continuous Improvement & Digital Enablement:

• Support automation and standardisation of payroll processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Identify process bottlenecks and recommend actionable improvements.
• Participate in testing and implementation of payroll system upgrades or integrations.
• Maintain payroll SOPs, work instructions, and process maps to ensure procedural consistency and knowledge continuity.

Records & Reporting:

• Maintain payroll documentation, reports, and approvals in accordance with British Council’s IGRM and data-protection frameworks.
• Generate and analyse payroll reports to provide insights on trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure all payroll records are securely stored and retrievable for audits and governance reviews.

Teamwork & Collaboration:

• Support colleagues during high-volume cycles, absences, or transitions to ensure service continuity.
• Share expertise and provide guidance to junior team members (e.g., Payroll Officers).

Requirements of the role

• Proven experience managing payroll operations across multiple countries or entities.
• Strong understanding of payroll principles, statutory compliance, taxation, and benefits processing.
• Experience working with outsourced payroll vendors and MSPs in a shared-services environment.
• Proficiency with HRIS and payroll systems (SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle, or equivalent).
• Knowledge of audit and control requirements related to payroll governance.
• Written and verbal proficiency in English.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting automation or payroll-system enhancement projects.
• Familiarity with analytics or reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or advanced Excel).
• Experience in cross-functional collaboration with Finance, HR, and IT.

Salary
N18,437, 079 annually.

Application Closing Date
25th May, 2026 at 22:59 UK Time.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online