Senior Payroll Specialist

Charles River Laboratories, Inc.; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Charles River Laboratories is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist for their Payroll Team based in Edinburgh. This fixed-term role involves managing payroll processes, ensuring audit compliance, and communicating with stakeholders. Ideal candidates will have experience in global payroll, a proficiency in Excel, and a mindset focused on continuous improvement. Competitive benefits such as a generous pension scheme, 29 days of annual leave, and career progression opportunities are provided.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme with 8% employer contribution

29 days annual leave plus 4 bank holidays

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Paid volunteering opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in a multi-national organization with regional or global payroll.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Understanding of audit controls.

Responsibilities

• Preparation of payrolls for Charles River Laboratories.
• Maintenance of salary records according to statutory and company requirements.
• Regular communication with employees and stakeholders.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Continuous improvement mindset

Excel

PowerBI

Job description

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For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development, and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales, or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Summary

Our Payroll Team currently has a fantastic opportunity to join as a Senior Payroll Specialist as part of the wider Finance Shared Service function based at Riccarton, Edinburgh. This is a Fixed Term Contract with an end date of 31st December 2025.

Although based in Edinburgh, the Payroll Team predominantly works from home.

The Payroll Department is a managed processing service supporting various Charles River companies throughout Europe.

The main duties of the Senior Payroll Specialist include:

• Preparation of payrolls for Charles River Laboratories in line with reporting dates
• Maintenance of salary records according to statutory and company requirements
• Ensuring audit requirements are met
• Regular communication with employees and stakeholders
• Supporting continuous improvement projects
• Maintaining processing manuals and documentation
• Handling adhoc payroll requests
• General administrative tasks

Job Qualifications

Minimum requirements include:

• Experience in a multi-national organization with regional or global payroll
• Proficiency in IT, especially Excel and PowerBI
• Understanding of audit controls
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Good stakeholder management skills

Beneficial but not essential:

• Experience with ADP Global View and ADP Celergo
• Experience in an outsourced payroll environment
• Experience supporting EMEA payroll functions
• Language skills, especially Dutch or French

We offer a competitive salary and benefits, including:

• Structured career progression with learning opportunities
• Generous pension scheme with 8% employer contribution
• Employee discount schemes
• 29 days annual leave plus 4 bank holidays
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Paid volunteering opportunities

About Corporate Functions

Corporate Functions support areas like HR, Finance, IT, Legal, Sales, QA, Marketing, and Corporate Development, partnering across the company to develop strategies and standards.

About Charles River

Charles River is a CRO supporting clients from target identification through preclinical development, with over 20,000 employees in 110 facilities worldwide. Our mission is to improve health and well-being globally, and we are proud to have supported 80% of FDA-approved drugs in the last five years.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion, recruiting talent from all backgrounds.