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- Tasks: Join our Payroll Team as a Senior Payroll Specialist, handling payrolls and supporting continuous improvement projects.
- Company: Charles River is a leading contract research organisation dedicated to improving global health through innovative drug therapies.
- Benefits: Enjoy remote work options, competitive salary, generous pension, and employee discounts across hundreds of retailers.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on global health while developing your career in a supportive and dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in multinational payroll, strong IT skills, and a continuous improvement mindset are essential.
- Other info: This is a fixed-term contract until December 2025, with opportunities for career progression.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
2 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants
For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Summary
Our Payroll Team currently has a fantastic opportunity to join them as a Senior Payroll Specialist as part of the wider Finance Shared Service function based at Riccarton, Edinburgh. This is a Fixed Term Contract Opportunity with a current end date of 31st December 2025.
Although the team’s office base is Edinburgh, the Payroll Team predominately work from home.
Our Payroll Department is a managed processing service supporting various Charles River companies throughout Europe.
The Principal Duties Of The Senior Payroll Specialist Are
- Preparation of payrolls for Charles River Laboratories in line with pre-determined reporting dates
- Maintenance of salary records in line with statutory and company specific requirements
- Ensure audit requirements are maintained
- Regular communication with employees and key stakeholders
- Support continuous improvement projects
- Maintain processing manuals and knowledge base documentation
- Complete adhoc payroll related requests and submissions
- General administration tasks
Job Qualifications
The following are minimum requirements related to the Senior Payroll Specialist position:
- Experience of working in a multi-national organisation with regional or global payroll departments
- IT proficient – particularly confident in excel and PowerBI
- Understanding of audit controls
- Continuous improvement mindset
- Ability to work within a fast paced, deadline driven and evolving environment
- Good stakeholder management
The Following Would Be Beneficial But Not Essential
- Experience operating ADP Global View and ADP Celergo
- Proven track record operating within an outsourced payroll model
- Experience of operating within a centralised payroll function supporting EMEA
- Language skills, in particular Dutch or French
Career Progression Opportunities
Compeitive Salary and Benefits package including:
A well-structured, clear career progression – regardless of what role you have there is a portfolio of Learning and Development opportunities to enable independent development in addition to more formal programmes across a wide range of technical and soft skills.
Pension
A generous Pension Scheme which incorporates 8% employer contribution.
Creds
Charles River Employee Discount Scheme. Access to our employee discount and cashback schemes across hundreds of retailers, including dining, holiday and insurance etc.
Annual Leave
29 days annual leave (Pro Rata) in addition to 4 officially recognised Bank Holiday days at Christmas and New Year.
Eap
Employee Assistance Programme provided via Cigna, offering support to anyone with concerns or issues around Mental Health; General Wellbeing; Addictions; Finance; Elder Care and many others.
Cycle To Work Scheme
Cycling to work is a great way to improve your fitness, save money on your commute and it’s often a less stressful route into work.
Paid Volunteering
Opportunity to volunteer (paid) for one day each year.
About Corporate Functions
The Corporate Functions provide operational support across Charles River in areas such as Human Resources, Finance, IT, Legal, Sales, Quality Assurance, Marketing, and Corporate Development. They partner with their colleagues across the company to develop and drive strategies and to set global standards. The functions are essential to providing a bridge between strategic vision and operational readiness, to ensure ongoing functional innovation and capability improvement.
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly supported the development of 80% of the drugs approved by the FDA in the last five years.
At Charles River Laboratories, we recognize and recruit all talent. We are a company committed to the principle of diversity and inclusion and work daily in this direction.
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Senior Payroll Specialist employer: Charles River Laboratories
Contact Detail:
Charles River Laboratories Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Payroll Specialist
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the payroll systems mentioned in the job description, especially ADP Global View and ADP Celergo. Even if you haven't used them before, understanding their functionalities can give you an edge during discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Highlight your experience in a multi-national organisation during networking opportunities. Connect with current or former employees of Charles River on platforms like LinkedIn to gain insights and potentially get a referral.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your continuous improvement mindset by thinking of specific examples where you've implemented changes in payroll processes. This will show your proactive approach and alignment with the company's values.
✨Tip Number 4
Brush up on your stakeholder management skills. Be ready to share how you've effectively communicated with various stakeholders in previous roles, as this is crucial for the Senior Payroll Specialist position.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Payroll Specialist
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in payroll, especially within multi-national organisations. Emphasise your proficiency in Excel and PowerBI, as well as any experience with ADP Global View or Celergo.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for the role and how your skills align with the responsibilities outlined in the job description. Mention your continuous improvement mindset and ability to work in fast-paced environments.
Highlight Stakeholder Management Skills: Since the role involves regular communication with employees and key stakeholders, provide examples of your stakeholder management experience. This could include how you've successfully navigated complex situations or improved processes.
Proofread Your Application: Before submitting, carefully proofread your application for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail, which is crucial for a Senior Payroll Specialist.
How to prepare for a job interview at Charles River Laboratories
✨Know Your Payroll Basics
Make sure you brush up on your payroll knowledge, especially regarding statutory requirements and audit controls. Being able to discuss these topics confidently will show that you understand the core responsibilities of a Senior Payroll Specialist.
✨Demonstrate IT Proficiency
Since the role requires strong IT skills, particularly in Excel and PowerBI, be prepared to discuss your experience with these tools. You might even want to bring examples of how you've used them in previous roles to improve payroll processes.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Management Skills
The job involves regular communication with employees and key stakeholders. Think of specific instances where you've successfully managed relationships or resolved conflicts, as this will highlight your ability to navigate a multi-national environment.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement Mindset
Charles River values a continuous improvement mindset. Be ready to share examples of how you've contributed to process improvements in past roles, demonstrating your proactive approach to enhancing payroll operations.
