Consultant, Payroll
Date: 24 Jul 2026
Location: London, GB, N2 8AW
Company: McDonald's Corporation
About Us
McDonalds has run its business in the UK since 1974 and currently operates over 1500 restaurants across the UK and Ireland, serving almost four million customers each day. McDonalds is one of the UKs largest private sector employers, employing over 170,000 people.
Department Overview
Here is the chance to join our well-regarded Payroll Team in the early stage of our new payroll landscape following our system migration to Zellis ResourceLink/HCM Air late in 2025. You will take a leading role in all upcoming payroll projects working directly with the Payroll Manager, Systems & Compliance Manager and Payroll Team. There may also be a requirement to work with the team to process the payroll for around 18,000 of our crew every fortnight along with 2 monthly payrolls for our salaried staff (which may include you in the future!).
What Team will I be a part?
We have a very broad remit in Finance and are highly regarded, with the result that we have oversight of
everything that happens across the business and Payroll is at the heart of this.
Who are my customers?
McDonald’s UK Head Office, Restaurants and Operations
Government bodies and external organisations such as HMRC and external project partners
Duties
Well, what’s a normal day in payroll – There isn’t one as it changes every day. You could be supporting the fortnightly payroll one day and leading a project to cover the latest government changes the next. There will always be new things to learn and you will play a leading part in all new department projects. These may even be from an idea of your own that we explore and take on board, so the opportunities are endless.
Your main duties will include
Review and document current and future payroll processes
Work with the existing Payroll team to gain knowledge and understanding of the defined payroll requirements
Taking a leading role in all upcoming projects within the department
Liaise will all relevant stakeholders at all levels
Working with the team to ensure all team members are paid accurately and on time every time
Provide a high standard of customer service to all internal and external customers
Provide support to cross functional teams as requested; both within the department and broader business to triage support issues
Ensure integrity and security of all payroll data
Maintain internal control procedures to safeguard the integrity of the company
Assist with Year End processing for multiple companies
Qualifications
We will shortly be starting our journey to a new payroll software, so we need the ideal candidate to be up for a challenge and someone that really embraces change with both hands.
Key attributes you will have are:
Experience of working in a team
Minimum 5 years payroll systems & software migration experience
Comfort and experience of working in a fast paced and changing working environment
Experience and an ability to think outside of the box to solve problems
Continuous improvement and curious mindset
Knowledge of payroll and pension legislation and compliance
Adherence to payroll and statutory deadlines to mitigate risk of penalties and delayed payments
Be proficient with Microsoft Office software i.e. Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook etc.
Excellent interpersonal skills, confidence, keen eye for detail, high level of accuracy, resiliency and passionate about both payroll and McDonalds
Experience of system implementation projects
Experience of ResourceLink/Zellis HCM payroll system
Experience of ResourceLink Reporting Services (RRS)
Experience of Power Automate
Experience of process mapping payroll processes
Experience of salary sacrifice schemes e.g. pension, cars (Desirable)
Experience of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) requirements within Payroll (Desirable)
At McDonald's, we are People from all Walks of Life...
Company Vision and Culture
Our Global vision is to build a better McDonalds and in the UK and Ireland we are working hard to be the UK & Irelands best-loved restaurant company.
McDonalds is defined by its culture. Our culture shapes and informs everything we think and everything we do. Our culture influences the way we interact with each other, and how we interact with customers, franchisees and suppliers. Our culture motivates and inspires us to attract and retain great talent, creating positive, energising, exceptional working environment for us all.
Our values drive our culture and shape our beliefs, our priorities and our actions. They influence the decisions we make, how we treat one another and how we show up as a brand to the world.
Serve: We put our customers and our people first
Inclusion: We open our doors to everyone
Integrity: We do the right thing
Community: We are good neighbours
Family: We get better together
At McDonalds we are People from all Walks of Life...
People are at the heart of everything we do, and they make the McDonalds experience. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture that means people can be their best authentic self in our restaurants and offices, which helps us to better serve our customers. We have a strong heritage of diversity and representation within our communities, which we are proud of. The diversity of our people, customers, Franchisees and suppliers gives us strength.
We do not tolerate inequality, injustice or discrimination of any kind. These are hugely important issues and a brand with our reach and relevance means we have a very meaningful role to play.
We also recognise our responsibility as a large employer to continue being active in our communities, helping to develop skills and drive aspirations that will help people to be more aware of the world of work and more successful within it, whether with McDonalds or elsewhere.