Advanced Specialist, Business Analytics

Job Title: Advanced Specialist, Business Analytics

Who we are:
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. 

To learn more: https://plc.pearson.com

Our team: The Global Payroll Governance and Compliance team supports Pearson’s payroll operations across multiple countries, helping build stronger, more consistent and future-ready processes.

As part of this team, you will contribute to global payroll transformation by improving process visibility, supporting governance, and helping teams prepare for business change in a structured and practical way.

About the Role:

This role aligns to industry-level titles such as HR Operations Transformation, Payroll Governance, Business Process, and Operational Excellence.

We are looking for an Advanced Specialist, Business Analytics to join our Global Payroll Governance and Compliance team.

In this role, you will help turn complex payroll processes and business requirements into clear documentation, insights and practical recommendations. You will support initiatives related to process standardization, workflow redesign, operational readiness, vendor transitions, automation opportunities and business change.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys understanding how processes work, identifying gaps and dependencies, and helping global teams make better, more informed decisions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Document current payroll processes, workflows, handoffs, controls and dependencies across countries or initiatives.

• Create and maintain clear process maps, standard operating procedures, workflow documentation and operational playbooks.

• Support payroll transformation initiatives by assessing readiness, identifying risks, documenting impacts and tracking key actions.

• Gather and validate inputs from stakeholders across Payroll, HR Operations, Finance, Technology, Legal, Procurement and external providers.

• Support business change activities, including vendor transitions, platform changes, service delivery improvements and M&A-related payroll workstreams.

• Identify manual workarounds, process gaps and automation opportunities for further review by technology or transformation teams.

• Coordinate governance activities such as readiness checkpoints, issue logs, decision records and action trackers.

• Share documentation standards, process insights and best practices to support consistent ways of working.

Required skills and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in any field; a degree in Business, Finance, HR, Accounting or a related area is preferred.

• Experience in business analysis, payroll operations, HR operations, finance operations, process improvement, governance or transformation support.

• Strong ability to document processes, map workflows and translate complex information into clear, practical outputs.

• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders in a global or multi-country environment.

• Flexibility to collaborate and work across different time zones depending on the projects and regions supported, including teams in the Americas, Europe, the UK and APAC.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Good understanding of operational risk, controls, dependencies and issue tracking.

• Strong attention to detail, organization, follow-up and documentation discipline.

• Ability to work independently, use good judgment and prioritize based on business impact.

Check out our benefits:

• Private medical health plan, plus dental care extended to your economic dependents under the age of 25.

• Home office support.

• Funeral assistance.

• Life insurance.

• 15 working days of vacation in the first year, birthday off, marital leave, maternity or paternity leave.

• Employee assistance program.

• Annual Bonus according to the company's policies.

• Other more benefits. 

• Extended Maternity and Paternity Leave – 6 months for mothers and 1 month for fathers.

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