Payroll & Finance Specialist

India | Remote | Part-Time | Contract | UK Payroll & Finance
Placed by Hotsourced — connecting top Indian talent with world-class global companies

About the Role
Our client, a growing UK-based business, is looking for an experienced Payroll & Finance Specialist to own its UK payroll process and support day-to-day finance operations.
UK payroll is run by an external provider you'll The candidate will be the bridge between the business, employees and that provider, making sure inputs are accurate, output is thoroughly checked, and queries are resolved quickly.
This isn't a data-entry role. The provider calculates; you own the process reviewing output, challenging discrepancies, and ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time. You'll also support the finance team with accounts payable, invoicing and reconciliations.
A role for a genuine payroll subject-matter expert: detail-oriented, independent, and confident as the trusted point of contact for employees, finance teams and providers alike.

Key Responsibilities
UK Payroll & Provider Management
Own the monthly UK payroll timetable and act as the primary point of contact with the external payroll provider.
Collate, validate and submit payroll inputs — starters, leavers, salary changes, bonuses, commissions, overtime, absence, benefits and deductions — and ensure new starters are correctly set up for payroll and pensions.
Review the provider's draft payroll: gross-to-net checks, month-on-month variance analysis, tax codes, pension deductions and statutory payments. Investigate discrepancies and confidently challenge the provider until they're resolved.
Manage employee queries relating to payslips, tax, deductions, pensions and statutory payments.
Support UK pension administration (auto-enrolment, opt-ins, opt-outs, employee changes) and payroll-related HMRC submissions and payments.
Reconcile payroll to the general ledger, support payroll journals, and maintain a clear audit trail of payroll changes and supporting documentation.
Keep payroll information aligned across the HRIS, payroll provider and finance records, and stay current on UK payroll, tax and pension legislation.

HR & People Administration
Maintain accurate employee records in the HRIS, including starters, leavers, salary and contractual changes, and absence/holiday data.
Support onboarding and offboarding administration.
Produce routine people reports (headcount, starters, leavers) as needed.

Finance & Accounts Payable Support
Process supplier invoices, code them accurately, and enter transactions into Xero, matching against POs and supporting documentation.
Chase missing approvals, resolve invoice queries, and maintain supplier records and statement reconciliations.
Manage the AP inbox, perform bank reconciliations, and investigate unmatched transactions.
Process employee expenses and support journals and month-end finance administration.

What We're Looking For
Essential: hands-on experience with UK payroll, gained working directly for a UK-based employer or UK payroll bureau.

This is a prerequisite for the role — we're not able to consider candidates without direct UK payroll experience.
3–5+ years' experience in UK payroll, with strong practical knowledge of PAYE, National Insurance, tax codes and pensions, and UK statutory payments (SSP, SMP, SPP, ShPP, SAP).
CIPP qualification or equivalent UK payroll training.
Experience managing payroll for approximately 50–100 UK employees.
Experience reconciling payroll to the general ledger and supporting month-end finance processes.
Experience working with an outsourced UK payroll provider or bureau, with a track record of reviewing and checking payroll output — not just entering data.
Confidence identifying payroll discrepancies, challenging a provider to correct them, and explaining pay, tax and deductions clearly to employees.
Experience managing payroll-related starters, leavers and employee changes, and maintaining accurate records in an HRIS.
Practical finance experience across accounts payable, invoice processing and reconciliations, including accounting software such as Xero.
Strong written and spoken English, with the confidence to communicate with…