HiringWise is an independent IT recruitment company that focuses on the UK, Europe, and US markets.
Our client is looking for a Payroll & Benefits Specialist to own end-to-end payroll processing and compliance for the global workforce across the US and Europe. You'll be the central point of contact between the company and the company’s US EOR provider and international payroll advisors (UK, US, Poland, Portugal, Estonia, Germany). For our European entities that run payroll locally, you'll be the point of contact and receiver of payroll data — maintaining one accurate view of who sits on which entity's books and consolidating it into group-level reporting.
You'll also own benefits administration and the annual renewal cycle, and manage pension arrangements across every country we operate in. Over time, you'll reduce our reliance on third-party providers by migrating payroll onto our in-house platform in every country where we hold a local entity, including standing up payroll for a separate US entity on its own system ahead of a planned handover to local ownership. Beyond processing, you're the face of pay to employees — fast, accurate, trustworthy answers on pay, pensions and benefits, and a service standard people don't have to chase.
Responsibilities:
- Run UK and US payroll cycles end-to-end — validating all inputs (new hires, leavers, salary changes, bonuses, commissions, time off), reviewing every payroll register, and coordinating with the US EOR and international payroll advisors
- Act as the central point of contact for European entities running their own payroll — receiving
monthly payroll data, reconciling it against HRIS headcount, and maintaining a single accurate record of who sits on which entity's books. - Own statutory filings and tax portal access across jurisdictions, calculate termination payments in line with local labor law, and produce consolidated group payroll reporting to support monthend close, reconciliations, and audit.
- Administer benefits and pension schemes across all countries of presence —enrollments,
changes, leaver removals, entity transfers, reconciliations to payroll and provider invoices, and the annual renewal cycle end-to-end with brokers and providers - Migrate payroll onto our in-house platform in each country where we hold a local entity,
including statutory registration, parallel running, and clean cutover, and stand 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, and knowledgebase materials — with regular audits across payroll, HRIS, benefits, and provider data.
- Hold external providers and country contacts to agreed timescales, escalating and resolving discrepancies before they reach an employee's pay.
- Provide responsive, accurate service to employees on pay, pension, and benefits queries against a published response standard.
Requirements
Must-have:
- 5+ years of payroll experience, with direct coordination of EOR providers, payroll advisors, or
local payroll contacts across multiple countries — holding providers to deadlines, validating
outputs, and consolidating data into a reliable group-level view. - Has personally owned UK payroll cycles end-to-end, EOR coordination, or advisor management, and has worked across multiple countries reconciling payroll against HRIS/entity data.
- Benefits and pensions administration experience —enrollments, leavers, provider invoices,
payroll deductions, UK auto-enrollment, member data, and annual renewal cycles - Payroll migration and entity setup experience — has supported or led a migration from an
external provider or EOR to in-house processing (statutory registration, data migration, parallel running, cutover, provider exit) or set up payroll for a new entity. - Has built payroll systems, processes, controls, calendars, and documentation from scratch or
in a highly immature environment, and can translate compliance requirements into workflows
that hold up under live payroll deadlines. - Experience producing payroll reporting for Finance and supporting close, accruals,
reconciliations, and audit, with strong documentation and control-point discipline. - Strong vendor and provider coordination skills — able to hold external partners to timelines,
challenge discrepancies, and escalate constructively across time zones and jurisdictions. - Strong Excel/Google Sheets skills and fluency across payroll, HRIS, benefits, and accounting systems, with meticulous attention to data accuracy.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience in Accounting, Finance, HR, or a related field.
- Proficiency in English required.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with commission and bonus calculations.
- Experience in high-growth, multi-entity, multi-country environments.
- US payroll exposure through direct processing.
