Payroll Specialist

Sterling Williams LTD; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Williams LTD is seeking an experienced Payroll Specialist to own global payroll across multiple jurisdictions in a fast-growing fintech. You will manage monthly payroll, liaise with external providers, and be the trusted point of contact for employees on pay queries.

Reporting to Head of HR, the role is London-based with a hybrid (3:2) setup. Requires 4–6 years’ payroll experience, strong legislation knowledge, and advanced Excel; CIPP/CIPD qualification is desirable.

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of experience in payroll.
• Experience running full-cycle payroll in a growing business.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation and tax in relevant jurisdictions.
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets with large data reconciliation.
• Experience with HRIS/payroll systems (ADP, Papaya Global, Deel, Xero, Sage, BambooHR).
• Professional qualification such as CIPP or CIPD desirable.

Responsibilities

• Run end-to-end monthly payroll for all locations.
• Process starters, leavers, promotions, pay changes, overtime, allowances, bonuses, commissions, and equity-related payments.
• Manage statutory deductions and payments, including income tax, social contributions, pensions and loan deductions.
• Run pre- and post-payroll checks and variance analysis.
• Handle off-cycle payments, corrections, and expense reimbursements.
• Coordinate payroll providers and local accountants in each country.
• Provide payroll journals, accruals, and reconciliations to Finance.

Skills

Advanced Excel/Google Sheets

Attention to detail

Strong communication skills

Explain pay topics simply

Discretion with confidential data

Education

Payroll qualification (CIPP/CIPD)

Tools

ADP

Papaya Global

Deel

Xero

Sage

BambooHR

Job description

If you are an experienced Payroll Specialist, and love to work in fast moving, and growing businesses taking ownership of processes, we'd love to speak with you. Sterling Williams are supporting a City of London based FinTech / Payments Institution in their search for such a person, in a newly created Payroll position.

Payroll Specialist

London - City - Hybrid (3:2)

Permanent, Full-Time

Salary circa £45,000 - 60,000 pa plus benefits.

Reports to: Head of HR

We're looking for a Payroll Specialist to make sure everyone is paid accurately, and on time across a number of geographies and locations, work with external providers and local advisers, and act as the trusted point of contact for employees on pay queries.

Payroll processing:

• Run end-to-end monthly payroll for all locations, from data collection to payment and payslip distribution
• Process starters, leavers, promotions, pay changes, overtime, allowances, bonuses, commissions, and equity-related payments
• Manage statutory deductions and payments, including income tax, social contributions, pensions/retirement, and loan or garnishment deductions
• Run pre- and post-payroll checks and variance analysis to catch errors before they reach employees
• Handle off-cycle payments, corrections, and expense reimbursements

Multi-country and provider management:

• Manage relationships with external payroll providers, bureaus, and local accountants in each country
• Review and challenge payroll providers' output, checking it against source data before it is submitted or paid
• Coordinate local statutory filings, year-end returns, and tax authority submissions
• Keep up to date with changes to payroll legislation, tax rates, and thresholds in each jurisdiction
• Support the set-up of payroll in new countries as we expand

Other:

• Provide payroll journals, accruals, and reconciliations to Finance each month and support month-end and year-end close
• Work with the Head of FP&A to provide accurate actuals for people-cost reporting and forecasting
• Maintain the accuracy of payroll data in the HRIS and payroll systems
• Maintain payroll policies, procedures, and documented controls, ensuring segregation of duties and data confidentiality
• Ensure compliance with GDPR and local data protection requirements for employee data
• Identify opportunities to automate and improve payroll processes
• Be the first point of contact for payroll, tax code, pension, and payslip queries
• Explain pay calculations clearly and sensitively
• Support managers and People Partners on the payroll implications of changes to employment

The successful candidate will have:

• 4-6 years of experience in payroll, ideally running full-cycle payroll in a growing business
• Strong working knowledge of payroll legislation, tax, and statutory deductions in relevant jurisdictions
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills, with the ability to reconcile and analyse large data sets
• Experience working with HRIS and payroll systems (e.g. ADP, Papaya Global, Deel, Xero, Sage, BambooHR)
• Exceptional attention to detail, with a record of accuracy under tight deadlines
• Strong judgment and discretion when handling confidential data
• Clear communication skills, with the ability to explain pay topics simply

Desirable:

• Experience managing multi-country payroll through external providers
• Experience in fintech, technology, or a high-growth environment
• Experience with equity, share option, and bonus payroll processing
• Understanding of payroll accounting and journals
• Professional qualification such as CIPP, CIPD, or equivalent payroll qualification
• Experience with payroll audits and internal controls