Payroll Bureau Lead

3 billion people across the world work in frontline jobs. Yet, despite rising costs and staff shortages, frontline organisations are still left to choose between paper, Excel, and WhatsApp, or decade-old workforce management solutions to take care of the most important part of their businesses - their people.Enter Sona: the next generation of AI-native, frontline workforce management. We’ve built an end-to-end platform covering Scheduling, HR, Payroll, and Communications that gives the largest frontline organisations everything they need to staff more intelligently and empower their teams.In under 4 years, we’ve already made a deep impact on the lives of over 100k frontline workers and the operation of their organisations, grown the team to 110+, and secured over $50M in funding from notable VC’s, including Felicis, Northzone, Gradient Ventures (Google), SpeedInvest, Antler, and Notion Capital, plus notable angels like Tom Blomfield (Monzo).It’s a hugely exciting time to be joining the team as we’re still small enough that you’ll have a significant impact on the company’s growth trajectory and culture, yet large enough to have a great structure, experienced leaders and world-class benefits in place. More on working at Sona here.About the roleSona is one of the fastest-growing startups in frontline workforce technology, and payroll is a critical part of our customer promise. We’re expanding our Payroll Bureau function and are looking for a senior payroll professional who wants to be part of something exciting and who isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves.This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys the balance of hands-on delivery and strategic thinking, with the potential to lead a team as we grow. You’ll join as a key member of the payroll leadership team, helping us shape and scale our outsourced bureau offering.You’ll report directly to our Director of Payroll and work closely with teams across the business, from Implementation and Product to Sales and Support. Your focus will be on delivering exceptional service to our clients while building the structure, systems and processes that allow us to scale.ResponsibilitiesOwn and run enterprise-level client payrolls end-to-end, acting as the trusted lead point of contactTake ownership of a client portfolio and manage delivery, SLAs and KPIs with excellenceSupport the growth of the bureau by helping to define team structure and mentoring junior team membersAct as the payroll subject matter expert in commercial discussions and late-stage sales conversationsDesign and implement process improvements to drive efficiency and enhance service qualityHelp define and evolve our operational playbook—how we deliver bureau payroll at scaleStay ahead of legislative changes and compliance obligations, making sure our clients are always protectedSkills and Experience RequiredWe’re looking for someone who brings depth of experience but is energised by building. Someone who can lead and inspire, but is also happy jumping into the detail when needed.You’ll likely have:Extensive experience processing complex payrolls in a bureau/outsourced environment, ideally working with enterprise-level clientsProven ability to lead or mentor others, whether informally or in a team lead capacityConfidence acting as the main point of contact for customers, with excellent communication and relationship-building skillsA commercial mindset, you understand the business impact of great service and efficient operationsAdvanced Excel/Google Sheets skills (e.g. VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, CONCATENATE)Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation (CIPP qualified or working towards is a plus)Experience with ROI payroll is nice to have, but not essentialComfort operating in a fast-paced, tech-driven environment, and an openness to using and learning new systemsBenefits£60,000 - £70,000Remote first. UK based. Occasional travel to the London office or customer sites may be requiredShare options35 days annual leave (25 days standard plus 10 flexible public holiday days)Extra day of leave for every year of servicePension contributions matched up to 5%Comprehensive health insuranceEnhanced parental leave & payCo-working space stipend for those based outside LondonBi-annual all expenses paid team retreatsThe latest Macbook and equipment budget for your home officeProfessional development budgetUnlimited free booksNote: this represents a typical benefits package for a UK-based, full-time employee. Exact details may vary based on location and employment type but we try to be as fair as possible to all of our team members. Please ask your contact in the Talent team to clarify the available benefits for you.

Apply Now