Senior Payroll Manager (UK Market)

Through proprietary software and AI, along with a focus on customer delight, Sleek makes the back-office easy for micro SMEs. We give Entrepreneurs time back to focus on what they love doing - growing their business and being with customers. With a surging number of Entrepreneurs globally, we are innovating in a highly lucrative space.

We operate 3 business segments:

• Corporate Secretary: Automating the company incorporation, secretarial, filing, Nominee Director, mailroom and immigration processes via custom online robots and SleekSign.
• Accounting & Bookkeeping: Redefining what it means to do Accounting, Bookkeeping, Tax and Payroll thanks to our proprietary SleekBooks ledger, AI tools and exceptional customer service.
• FinTech payments: Overcoming a key challenge for Entrepreneurs by offering digital banking services to new businesses.

Sleek launched in 2017 and now has around 15,000 customers across our offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and the UK. We have around 500 staff with an intact startup mindset. We have recently raised Series B financing off the back of >70% compound annual growth in Revenue over the last 5 years. Sleek has been recognised by The Financial Times, The Straits Times, Forbes and LinkedIn as one of the fastest growing companies in Asia. Backed by world-class investors, we are on track to be one of the few cash flow positive, tech-enabled unicorns based out of Singapore.

We are looking for a Senior Payroll Manager that is excited about the below Mission and Outcome.

Mission: The Senior Payroll Manager leads the team, driving payroll service delivery. They ensure team competency and client satisfaction through timely, accurate, and high-quality deliverables.

Outcomes:

• Provide structured training and leadership to the accounting team, ensuring they stay updated on accounting standards and regulatory requirements across corporate secretarial, tax, payroll, and other services.
• Demonstrate expertise in accounting regulations and UK company setups, particularly for private limited companies.
• Ensure timely filing of corporate returns and taxes per SLAs.
• Support and improve gross profitability for Sleek UK.
• Maintain team efficiency through timely hiring and training, swift corrective actions for staff issues, and full compliance with workflows.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the accounting bot by integrating updated resources and expertise.

Required Experience:

• Recognised degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related discipline.
• Professional certification preferred (e.g., CA, or equivalent) — specialisation in payroll law highly regarded.
• Proven track record of 8+ years of experience in payroll operations, including managing a team and delivering payroll services for multiple clients.
• Strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, pensions, PAYE and payroll tax obligations.
• Proficiency with payroll systems and productivity tools, with experience leveraging automation and AI to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and proactive, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Adaptable and resourceful, comfortable operating in a VUCA environment and contributing to continuous process improvement.

Preferred but not mandatory: registration as a Tax Agent or experience in broader accounting and compliance services. Must be based in India.

Behavioural fit is also important at Sleek, and we will be looking for candidates that have a proven track record of embodying the below attributes in their recent roles:

• Ownership: This shows reliability and helps build trust within the team.
• Humility: There is so much we don’t know. Humility allows for open-mindedness to feedback and a willingness to learn from others.
• Structured Thinking: Our business is complex with many layers. Being able to show sound judgement is important to us.
• Data driven: We are a data-rich business with ~15,000 small customers.
• Can have tough conversations in a positive way: It’s critical that we use sound data to support our strategies.
• Problem Solving: You’ll need to be able to think on your feet as this role requires you to identify, diagnose, and resolve production issues quickly.
• User-centric: You understand the importance of system reliability and performance for both internal and external users.
• Analytical Mindset: You have a keen eye for detail and a methodical approach to dissecting problems.

The interview process: The successful candidate will participate in the below interview stages. We anticipate the process to last no more than 3 weeks from start to finish.

• HR Screening: A ~30 minute screening call with the HR.
• Technical Assessment: A ~60 minute chat with the Hiring Manager.
• Soft Skills assessment: A ~60 minute chat with a member of the HR or leadership team.
• Offer + reference interviews: We’ll make a non-binding offer verbally or over email.

We are offering competitive monthly remuneration for this role, along with the other financial, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits mentioned earlier in the job description.

Requirement for background screening: Please be aware that Sleek is a regulated entity and as such is required to perform different levels of background checks on staff depending on their role.

Some other great things about working at Sleek:

• Humility and kindness: Humility is a core attribute we hire for.
• Flexibility: You’ll be able to work from 5 days per week.
• Financial benefits: We pay competitive market salaries and provide staff with generous paid time off and holiday schedules.
• Personal growth: You’ll get a lot of responsibility and autonomy at Sleek.

Sleek is also a proudly certified B Corp. Since we started our journey in 2017, we’ve been committed to building Sleek as a force for good.