Senior Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Overview

This role owns payroll processing and compliance for the organization’s workforce across the US and Europe. You will act as the main point of contact between the organization and its US EOR provider, as well as international payroll advisors (UK, US, Poland, Portugal, Estonia, Germany). For European entities that run payroll locally, you will receive payroll data, maintain a single accurate record of which entity each person is on, and consolidate results into group-level reporting.

In addition to payroll, you will own benefits administration and the annual renewal cycle, including pensions in every country where the organization operates.

The role is UK-based.

Responsibilities

• Run UK and US payroll cycles end-to-end: validate inputs (new hires, leavers, salary changes, bonuses, commissions, time off), review each payroll register, and coordinate with the US EOR and international payroll advisors.
• Serve as the main contact for European entities that run payroll in-house: receive monthly payroll data, reconcile against HRIS headcount, and maintain one accurate record of who sits on which entity’s books.
• Own statutory filings and tax portal access for UK and US payroll, and produce consolidated group payroll reporting to support month-end close, accruals, reconciliations, and audit.
• Administer benefits and pension schemes across every country of operation, including enrollments, changes, leaver removals, entity transfers, reconciliations to payroll and provider invoices, and the annual renewal cycle with brokers and providers.
• Move payroll onto the organization’s in-house platform in each country where a local entity exists, including statutory registration, data migration, parallel running, and cutover.
• Set up and run payroll for a separate US entity on its own system ahead of a planned handover to local ownership.
• Build and maintain the payroll operating rhythm (calendars, SOPs, controls, knowledge-base materials) and support regular audits across payroll, HRIS, benefits, and provider data.
• Manage external providers and country contacts to agreed timescales, resolving discrepancies before they affect employee pay.
• Provide employees with fast, accurate, and confidential answers on pay, pension, and benefits in line with a published response standard.

Requirements

• Direct experience coordinating EOR providers, payroll advisors, or local payroll contacts across multiple countries, including holding providers to deadlines, checking outputs, and consolidating data into a reliable group view.
• Owned UK payroll cycles end-to-end, with credible US payroll exposure (direct processing, EOR coordination, or advisor management).
• Reconciled payroll against HRIS or entity data across several countries.
• Benefits and pensions administration experience, including enrollments, leavers, provider invoices, payroll deductions, UK auto-enrollment, member data, and annual renewals.
• Payroll migration or entity setup experience, including supporting or leading a move from an external provider or EOR to in-house processing (statutory registration, data migration, parallel running, cutover, provider exit) or setting up payroll for a new entity.
• Ability to build payroll systems, processes, controls, calendars, and documentation from scratch (or in a very immature environment), translating compliance requirements into workflows that meet live payroll deadlines.
• Experience producing payroll reporting for Finance and supporting close, accruals, reconciliations, and audit, with strong documentation and control discipline.
• Strong vendor coordination skills across time zones and jurisdictions, including challenging discrepancies and escalating constructively.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills and fluency across payroll, HRIS, benefits, and accounting systems, with close attention to data accuracy.
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, in Accounting, Finance, HR, or a related field.
• Proficiency in English required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with commission and bonus calculations.
• Experience running a payroll migration from an external provider to in-house processing yourself.
• Experience in high-growth, multi-entity, multi-country environments.

Location

UK-based.