Senior Payroll Specialist I

Summary

Join Oyster, a global employment platform revolutionizing the job market by connecting companies with talent worldwide. We offer a fully distributed, vibrant team of 500+ employees across 60+ countries and have achieved remarkable growth and recognition. This Payroll Specialist role focuses on ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing for the United Kingdom and other assigned countries. You will manage payroll-related inquiries, improve automated processes, stay updated on regulations, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate possesses extensive payroll and HR experience, in-depth knowledge of UK payroll laws, and strong communication skills. Oyster provides a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, mental health support, a wellbeing allowance, flexible parental leave, and a work-from-anywhere policy.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, or a related field from an accredited institution
• Over 5 years of payroll and HR experience, with expertise in the relevant country’s regulations (United Kingdom)
• In-depth knowledge of local payroll and HR laws and policies
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities while meeting deadlines accurately and on time
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively engage with clients and collaborate with stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex issues in a clear and understandable manner
• Advanced proficiency with local payroll software solutions
• Intermediate-level skills in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets
• Fluency in English, both spoken and written

Responsibilities

• Ensure the accurate and timely processing of payroll for your region (United Kingdom) and other assigned countries, delivering an exceptional payroll experience for Oyster’s team members and clients, while meeting or exceeding Oyster’s Service Delivery targets and KPIs
• Address payroll-related inquiries from both customers and team members, ensuring that query resolutions meet or exceed Oyster’s service level agreements (SLAs),such as query resolution times
• Embrace and support Oyster’s automated payroll processes, collaborating with cross-functional teams (e.g., Payroll Transformation, Product) to continuously improve these processes
• Stay up to date with local payroll regulations and monitor any legislative changes that may impact payroll processes
• Take ownership of local payroll and HR procedures, including managing involuntary deductions and supporting employee onboarding and offboarding in your region
• Contribute to the creation and upkeep of payroll-related knowledge, playbooks, and guides, enhancing the payroll experience for Oyster’s team members, clients, and internal teams
• Ensure payroll records are accurate and submit timely reports to relevant government agencies
• Review and reconcile payroll data, covering employee salaries, benefits, pensions, time off, and other relevant components
• Perform pre-payroll and post-payroll audits to ensure data integrity
• Contribute to special payroll projects and initiatives as assigned
• Work closely with Oyster’s HR Advisory team to manage updates and changes in local payroll and employment regulations

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in managing technology and working with external payroll providers is a plus
• Familiarity with implementing payroll systems
• Experience across multiple country jurisdictions is a plus
• Experience with various payroll technologies is an advantage

Benefits

• Work from anywhere: Oyster is a borderless, HQ-less company. As long as your work gets done on time, your team has the support they need, and you're authorized to work where you live, the world is truly your Oyster
• Paid time off: We’re all about taking breaks—we all need it. Oyster provides employees with 40 days off each year, which includes public/bank holidays and vacation/holiday leave (unless your country mandates more)
• Mental health support: We consider your mental health a top priority. We offer access to Plumm , a mental well-being service, to support your mental health
• Wellbeing allowance: Each month, Oyster will top up your ThanksBen wallet with a wellbeing allowance. You can get pretty much anything that your heart desires! ThanksBen offers a wide array of options for spending your wellbeing allowance. Check out their benefits catalogue here for inspiration
• Flexible parental leave: Families are created in lots of different ways. Our parental leave policy applies to all employees who are becoming parents, regardless of how they become a parent. Oysters are eligible for a minimum of three months of paid parental leave and your job will be held for 12 months (or longer if required by local jurisdiction)
• WFH stipend: Stipend to spend on your laptop and any other equipment you need for your home office; we'll get you up and running in no time!