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 & analysis.

Reports to: Group Finance Lead – Finance Operations (US, UK, Europe)

Location: Darlington, United Kingdom

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, incl. 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) & 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. 

Please forward your CV to sally.adamson@uniquegroup.com