HR Operations & Payroll Advisor

Job Description

Purpose of the role

To deliver HR services and support to Barclays colleagues, candidates, alumni and third-party vendors. 

Accountabilities

• Delivery and execution of HR operational activities aligned with people leader and colleague journeys aligned with bank policies and regulations, including performance management, rewards, benefits and learning operations documentation, coordination, and administration.
• On- and offboarding of new employees, (including orientation, documentation, coordination, exit interviews), knowledge transfer performance, rewards, learning operations and related administration.
• Maintenance of colleague personal and reference data in relevant HR information systems, ensuring data accuracy and compliance with data privacy regulations, reporting and analytics.
• Provision of guidance and support on candidate, colleague and alumni queries relating to HR policies, procedures, processes, or guidance.

Assistant Vice President Expectations

• To advise and influence decision making, contribute to policy development and take responsibility for operational effectiveness. Collaborate closely with other functions/ business divisions.
• Lead a team performing complex tasks, using well developed professional knowledge and skills to deliver on work that impacts the whole business function. Set objectives and coach employees in pursuit of those objectives, appraisal of performance relative to objectives and determination of reward outcomes
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.
• OR for an individual contributor, they will lead collaborative assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will identify new directions for assignments and/ or projects, identifying a combination of cross functional methodologies or practices to meet required outcomes.
• Consult on complex issues; providing advice to People Leaders to support the resolution of escalated issues.
• Identify ways to mitigate risk and developing new policies/procedures in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work done.
• Perform work that is closely related to that of other areas, which requires understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategy.
• Engage in complex analysis of data from multiple sources of information, internal and external sources such as procedures and practises (in other areas, teams, companies, etc).to solve problems creatively and effectively.
• Communicate complex information. 'Complex' information could include sensitive information or information that is difficult to communicate because of its content or its audience.
• Influence or convince stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

The HR Operations & Payroll Advisor will play a key role in supporting the separation of BPL as it transitions to operating independently. Working as part of the HR team, the role will provide hands-on HR operational support to managers and colleagues throughout the separation, with a particular focus on HR administration, employee queries, HRIS transition, payroll and Day 1 readiness.

The HR Operations & Payroll Advisor will be a key first point of contact for HR queries, providing timely and practical support while triaging more complex or specialist matters to the relevant HR Centres of Excellence (COEs).

This is an opportunity to join a business undergoing significant transformation and to play a key role in standing up new HR infrastructure and processes, including the transition from Workday to the new HRIS and supporting payroll through the separation and dual-run period.

Key responsibilities:

• The key initial focus for this role is to support the wider HR team in delivering the separation programme and to provide hands-on support during periods of increased activity around Day 1, payroll transition and HRIS implementation

• Ensure HR data in the HRIS is accurate and easily reportable

• Support managers and colleagues with day-to-day queries on how to use the HRIS and complete any system administration that is required  

• Help establish robust and efficient HR processes for the standalone business

• Support testing and readiness activities ahead of key transition milestones

• Act as a first point of contact for generalist manager and colleague HR queries across BPL, triaging more complex queries to the relevant HR COE

• Provide timely, accurate advice on HR policies, processes and employee lifecycle matters

• Identify recurring queries and process issues and use this to improve available guidance

• Act as a key point of contact for payroll-related colleague and manager queries

• Assist with payroll input, validation, reconciliation

• Support key payroll activities including starters, leavers, changes to personal details, salary changes, bonuses and other employee data impacting payroll

• Support the dual running of payroll during the transition to the new operating model

• Prepare HR documentation and correspondence as required

• Produce regular HR reports and data to support the HR team and wider business

• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and data protection standard when handling employee information

To be successful as a HR Operations & Payroll Advisor, you will have experience with:

• Previous experience working in a HR Services and Payroll team

• Good working knowledge of core HR processes and the employee lifecycle

• Good understanding of payroll processes and the ability to investigate payroll-related issues

• Experience working with HRIS platforms; Workday experience is desirable for this first separation phase

• Strong attention to detail, particularly when working with employee data and payroll

• Comfortable working with spreadsheets, data validation and reconciliation

• Experience supporting an HRIS implementation would be advantageous

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment with competing priorities

You may be assessed on key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

The successful candidate will be based in London. Our offices are located at 1 Churchill Place and 7 Westferry Circus (new BPL office). We support a hybrid working pattern with 3 days per week office-based presence expected. 

Barclays’ payments acceptance business provides critical infrastructure to the UK economy, processing billions of pounds of payments annually for both small businesses and domestic and international corporate clients.

In April 2025, we announced a long-term partnership with Brookfield Asset Management to grow and transform the payments acceptance business by broadening the range of services offered, enhancing the experience for both existing and prospective clients. Leveraging extensive client relationships and deep experience of UK payments, we will create an environment of continuous innovation - activated by Brookfield’s global private equity expertise in payments, technology, operational transformation and corporate carve-outs - to ensure the business is strategically positioned for long-term growth.

Barclays will invest approximately £400m in the new business, the majority of which will be incurred during the first three years. Performance-linked incentives will drive greater alignment between the partners, underpinning the long-term commitment to the transformation. Barclays and Brookfield will work to create a standalone entity over time, continuing to use the Barclaycard Payments (BPL) brand and acting as the sole payments acceptance services provider to Barclays’ clients for a minimum of ten years. 

For more information on our partnership with Brookfield, please visit Barclays.com.