Payroll, Benefits and HR Officer in Oxford

Join Us in Changing Lives At OXB, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re on a mission to enable life-changing therapies to reach patients around the world, and we’re looking for passionate individuals who embody our core values every day: Responsible, Responsive, Resilient, and Respectful.

We are currently recruiting for a Payroll, Benefits and HR Officer to join the Human Resources team for a 12-month maternity cover. The purpose of this role is to deliver accurate and timely payroll and benefits processes for all employees and members of the Board where appropriate. The role requires liaising internally as well as with external stakeholders and suppliers, and serves as the first point of contact for employee queries with transactional administration support and high levels of customer service.

Your responsibilities in this role would be:

• Payroll and Benefits Administration
  • Collation and processing of all elements of monthly outsourced Payroll accurately and in a timely manner.
  • Maintain systems to ensure payroll actions are brought forward and implemented appropriately.
  • Liaise with external payroll providers to ensure payroll timetables are agreed and implemented.
  • Interface between internal teams (e.g., Finance) to ensure stakeholder data needs are met effectively.
  • Responsible for standard payroll control reports and sign-off processes.
  • Maintain accurate employee benefit entitlement and membership records; conduct new hire employee benefits information sessions.
  • Provide all relevant pay and benefit data to the company’s total reward statement provider in a timely manner.
  • Support the administration process for annual benefit renewals and employee benefit days.
• Employee Life Cycle Support
  • Accurately maintain HRIS and e-files for all employees.
  • Draft letters to support employee lifecycle changes and references.
  • Monitor the shared HR Inbox, respond to queries or triage to relevant HR team members.
  • Provide admin support in annual HR processes.
• Operational Admin Support
  • Provide operational support including printing, scanning, and filing as required.
  • Coordinate and distribute communications to the business (e.g., new starters).
  • Support Talent Acquisition with interview coordination and Company Induction; provide cover for the team when needed.
  • Support audits that the HR Team participates in.
  • Drive continuous improvement across all HR Admin processes.

We are looking for:

• GCSE Maths and English essential.
• Recognised payroll qualification preferred.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant current UK Payroll legislation; commitment to stay informed about future changes.
• Proficient in advising employees on basic tax, pension and NI issues with payslips and guidance on where to seek additional help.
• Excellent attention to detail with an ability to see the big picture.
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.).
• Ability to review operational procedures to identify process improvements for future HR or payroll services.
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills to identify where processes have broken down and require resolution.
• Proactive attitude to work and effective communication in responding to employee queries.
• Ability to instruct the outsourced payroll provider using appropriate language and terminology to achieve outcomes.
• Strong customer service orientation and commitment to confidentiality and integrity aligned with GDPR and Company policies.
• Stay up to date with changing legislation and share actions with colleagues to ensure continued compliance.
• Be empowered to suggest process improvements to enhance efficiency.

About Us OXB is a quality- and innovation-led viral vector CDMO with a mission to enable clients to deliver life-changing therapies worldwide. With more than 25 years of experience in viral vectors, we are pioneers in cell and gene therapy. We collaborate with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to provide viral vector development and manufacturing in lentivirus, AAV, and adenoviral vectors. OXB’s capabilities span from early-stage development to commercialization, supported by robust quality-assurance systems, analytical methods, and regulatory expertise.

Why Join Us?

• Competitive total reward packages
• Wellbeing programs that support your mental and physical health
• Career development opportunities to help you grow and thrive
• Supportive, inclusive, and collaborative culture
• State-of-the-art labs and manufacturing facilities
• A company that lives its values: Responsible, Responsive, Resilient, Respect

We want you to feel inspired every day. At OXB, we’re future-focused and growing fast. We succeed together—through passion, commitment, and teamwork.