Senior Accountant – Payroll (UK & USA)

Purpose of Role
Responsible for managing end-to-end payroll processing for employees across the UK and the USA entities, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant payroll delivery, including financial posting, month-end accounting support and analysis.

Job Description

• Administer end-to-end payroll cycles for UK and USA including gross-to-net calculations, statutory deductions, benefits, and reporting.
• Ensure payroll compliance with HMRC (UK), IRS/State Agencies (USA).
• Manage onboarding payroll setup for new hires in consultation with HR including tax codes, pensions, social security setup and regional equivalencies.
• Reconcile payroll outputs monthly including variance checks, internal audits, and correcting discrepancies.
• Coordinate with third-party payroll vendors and ensure SLAs and data accuracy standards are met in all regions.
• Maintain payroll calendar, deadlines, year-end processes (P60s, W2s, etc.) and regional submissions.
• Prepare payroll KPIs and performance dashboards for management.
• Ensure GDPR compliance and secure handling of sensitive payroll data.
• Prepare payroll-related journal entries and accounting postings in the ERP system, including allocation across departments and cost centres.
• Coordinate with the Treasury/Finance team to execute salary payments and statutory remittances, and reconcile the bank transactions and resolve discrepancies.
• Assist with management reporting and cost analysis related to payroll expenses.
• Provide accounting support for employee expense claims and benefits accounting where required.

Knowledge, Skill and Experience

• Deep understanding of UK PAYE/NIC, pension auto-enrolment, statutory leave pay, HMRC processes.
• Knowledge of US federal and state payroll law including FICA, FUTA, W-4, state-specific tax variations.
• Proficiency with multi-country payroll systems (e.g. Sage) and ERP accounting systems (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics).
• Advanced Excel capabilities including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and payroll reconciliation formulas.
• Experience completing payroll audits and preparing documentation for internal/external auditors.
• 5+ years multi-country payroll experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field.

Behaviors

• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong understanding of multi-country payroll legislation.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload and meet payroll deadlines.
• Strong communication skills and stakeholder management.
• High integrity: Handles sensitive payroll information discreetly and professionally.
• Ownership mindset: Takes responsibility for accuracy, deadlines, and continuous improvement.
• Analytical thinking: Identifies anomalies, solves problems proactively, and suggests process improvements.
• Collaborative: Works closely with HR, Finance, and external providers.