Payroll Specialist (US) - Part time

The Organisation

 

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

 

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

 

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

 

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

 

The Opportunity

 

We’re looking for an experienced US Payroll Specialist to play a key role in delivering a high‑quality payroll service for our global International Assignee (IA) population. This part‑time role supports approximately 150 employees across multiple countries, including a significant number of US nationals paid through our US payroll (ADP).

If you enjoy working independently, and have deep knowledge of US payroll legislation and IRS compliance, we’d love to hear from you.

 

About the Role

 

This role is essential to ensuring our International Assignee payroll is accurate, compliant and delivered on time every month. You’ll manage end‑to‑end payroll processing using ADP, handle IRS‑related matters, work closely with internal teams across Finance, HR/P&C and Treasury, and maintain strong relationships with third‑party providers including Retirement Plan administrators.

You’ll also be the go‑to expert for queries—supporting employees, colleagues and external partners with clarity and professionalism.

 

What You’ll Be Doing

 

Monthly & Ongoing Payroll Responsibilities

• Process monthly payroll for ~150 international assignees using US ADP, ensuring accuracy and full compliance with internal policies and US federal payroll requirements.
• Collate, validate and reconcile payroll data; prepare payroll outputs and distribute required reports.
• Own and maintain the monthly COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) data.
• Respond to employee and provider payroll queries promptly and professionally.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of current US payroll and IRS legislation.

Compliance, Reporting & Systems

• Liaise directly with the IRS to resolve payroll or filing issues.
• Support internal and external audits, including Form 990 and donor/insurance audits.
• Work with Finance on payroll journals, control account reconciliations and variance analysis.
• Collaborate with our payroll software provider (ADP) to troubleshoot and resolve system issues.

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with P&C (HR) and Finance colleagues on payroll submissions and approvals.
• Provide coaching and guidance to Operations teams to improve payroll accuracy and understanding.
• Communicate monthly payroll deadlines and updates to relevant parties.
• Interact with Retirement Plan administrators and periodically manage eligibility communications.

Periodic & Annual Activities

• Prepare COLA review data and update records bi‑annually.
• Conduct education‑related deduction audits every six months.
• Complete end‑of‑year reconciliations for US nationals and process required adjustments.

 

About You

 

Essential

• Payroll qualification / CIPP Membership
• US payroll experience (especially using ADP)
• Strong understanding of US federal compensation & benefits rules
• Confident working independently and making informed decisions
• Numerate with accurate data input and strong attention to detail
• Strong Excel skills and working knowledge of Microsoft applications
• Experience with payroll control account reconciliations

 

Location: This is a part time role, working 14 hours per week (roughly 40-60 hours per month), with some flexibility needed based on payroll volume, mainly focused in the first 2 weeks of the month. This role will be based in the UK, employed from the Global Hub for Plan International which is based in Woking, Surrey where we are remote working. You must have the pre-existing right to live and work in the UK

Type of role: Fixed term contract until December 2027

Closing date: Sunday 22nd March 2026

 

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

 

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

 

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

 

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

 

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

 

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.