Senior Payroll Specialist

About Charlie

We’re Charlie and we exist to Make Work Better. We believe the best way to do this is by building tools and services that democratise great HR for small businesses.

We’re now launching Charlie Payroll: a fully managed payroll service, powered by CIPHR, that will make it easier for small businesses to pay their teams accurately and confidently.

We’re looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist to bring the expertise we need to launch and operate the service for our first customers.

Come and join us to make work better!

What is a “Senior Payroll Specialist”?

You’ll join Charlie on an initial six-month fixed-term contract as our senior payroll expert.

You’ll take a hands-on role in launching Charlie Payroll and delivering an accurate, compliant and fully managed payroll service for multiple customers.

You’ll manage the end-to-end payroll process, resolve complex queries and help establish the controls and ways of working we need to operate reliably at scale.

Experience working within a payroll bureau, outsourced payroll provider or managed payroll service is essential.

You’ll be comfortable managing multiple customers with different deadlines, payroll policies and levels of payroll knowledge.

There may be an opportunity for the role to become permanent and to build a payroll team around you.

You’ll report to our Head of Customer Experience and work closely with Product and Engineering.

• In This Role You Will
• Managing end-to-end payroll delivery across multiple customers, ensuring each payroll is accurate, compliant and completed on time
• Supporting customers through onboarding, payroll setup and their ongoing payroll runs
• Reviewing payroll information, completing quality checks and resolving missing or incorrect data
• Managing payroll changes, approvals, submissions, reconciliations, exceptions and post-payroll journals
• Resolving complex payroll queries and clearly explaining any action customers need to take
• Acting as Charlie’s subject‑matter expert on UK payroll and HMRC requirements
• Establishing the controls, workflows and quality checks needed to operate the service reliably
• Working with Product and Engineering to turn payroll requirements into effective product and customer journeys
• Setting up the software and processes with our Product and Cutomer Experience team
• Creating clear internal payroll processes and defining which queries can be managed by Customer Experience
• Training the Customer Experience team on payroll fundamentals and common customer queries
• Using customer feedback, regulatory changes and payroll issues to continually improve the service alongside CIPHR
• Helping to shape and potentially hire a permanent payroll team as the service grows

Requirements

• Significant experience delivering end-to-end UK payroll
• Launching or improving a payroll product, bureau or outsourced payroll service
• Experience working within a payroll bureau, outsourced payroll provider or managed payroll service
• Experience managing payroll for multiple customers with different requirements and deadlines
• Strong knowledge of PAYE, National Insurance, RTI, statutory payments, pensions, tax codes, deductions, starters and leavers
• Confidence interpreting HMRC guidance and turning it into clear customer and operational processes
• Strong customer management skills and the ability to explain complex payroll topics simply
• The ability to identify payroll risks, establish appropriate controls and manage unusual cases
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail, with accuracy being non-negotiable
• Experience working cross‑functionally with teams such as Customer Experience, Product and Finance
• A CIPP qualification or equivalent senior‑level UK payroll experience
• Let us know if you have: (all of these are desirable, but none are required)
• Using CIPHR payroll
• Working within a payroll technology business
• Experience training customer‑facing teams on payroll processes and queries
• Experience supporting, mentoring or managing more junior payroll team members

We will still consider applications even if you don't meet every single one of the above requirements, so don't be put off if you don't match them absolutely perfectly!

We cannot offer visa sponsorship and you must be able to work in the UK.

• The Way We Work
• A team of 39 that genuinely enjoy spending time together, with regular in‑person and remote events to foster connection
• Hybrid‑first approach; we optimise for office and remote working to be valued equally, and to be equally valuable
• Live anywhere in the UK; we have 5 set days per year that we require the team to be together in our London office, but you have the flexibility to live anywhere in the UK
• 90 bookable “nomad working” days outside of the UK in any timezone each year
• An amazing office space in East London’s pet‑friendly Second Home, and membership access to their wider London and LA locations.
• We have review cycles 2x a year using our transparent career progression framework, and dedicated personal development time

Compensation Package

• A benchmarked salary from £45,000 - £50,000 based on your level within our progression framework

Benefits

• £750 yearly Work Your Way Budget (to put toward things like travel to London for company events, getting your home office setup and your L&D)
• Access to our Learn You Way Fund (a company-wide fund that folks can apply to bolster their Work Your Way budget for L&D purposes
• £30 monthly wellbeing Budget
• Private Health Insurance through Vitality
• 25 days annual leave + public holidays
• 4 bookable “Personal days” per year for when you can’t bring your full self to work
• A sabbatical of up to one month paid at 50% of salary, for every 3.5 years worked at Charlie.
• Enhanced Equal Parental Leave policy
• Equal Opportunities Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and believe in the power of a diverse, inclusive team.

We welcome all applications from all suitably qualified people, regardless of race, sex, disability, religion / belief, sexual orientation or age.

Please let us know if you require anything which would enable your success throughout our interview process.

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