Benefits & Payroll Advisor

About the Role:

Join Baird’s Europe HR team as a Benefits & Payroll Advisor, supporting associates across our London and Frankfurt offices in a hybrid role (3 days per week in the office). In this position, you’ll play a vital role in delivering accurate, compliant benefits administration and seamless monthly payroll processes—while helping to create a consistently positive and high-quality associate experience.

As an experienced HR professional, you will take ownership of key benefits and payroll activities, using your analytical mindset to ensure data accuracy and your confidence to effectively support associate inquiries. You’ll collaborate closely with HR, Finance, HR Technology, and external vendors, applying sound judgment to resolve issues, escalate risks where appropriate, and identify opportunities to enhance processes and drive continuous improvement

The Impact You’ll Make:

• Execute daily administration of benefits programs across the UK and Germany, ensuring accurate enrolments, changes, and terminations

• Coordinate monthly payroll activities for London and Frankfurt, preparing and validating inputs for external payroll providers

• Review payroll and benefits data using Excel audit tools  to identify discrepancies and support issue resolution

• Support monthly pension assessment and contribution processes, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and escalating exceptions

• Maintain accurate benefits and payroll data, performing regular reconciliation and data validation checks

• Respond to associate inquiries related to benefits, payroll, and pensions with professionalism and sound judgment

• Support vendor management activities (e.g., Aviva, payroll providers), tracking service delivery and escalating issues as needed

• Support with benefits communications, open enrollment processes, and education sessions in collaboration with HR partners

• Contribute to compliance activities including audit preparation and tax reporting support (e.g., P11D data compilation)

• Identify process improvement opportunities and support enhancements to tools and workflows

What You’ll Bring to Baird:

• 3+ years of experience in benefits administration and payroll coordination, ideally supporting UK or European populations in a professional services environment (e.g. financial services, law, consultancy),

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

• Exposure to and solid understanding of payroll processes and benefits administration, including pension

• Solid understanding of payroll cycles and benefits administration processes

• Experience working with external vendors and service providers

• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage data accurately

• Analytical mindset with ability to identify discrepancies and investigate root causes

• Ability to apply judgment in non-routine situations and escalate risks appropriately

• Comfortable handling sensitive associate inquiries with professionalism and confidentiality

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex benefits concepts clearly

• Experience with HR systems (e.g., Workday),

• Strong Excel and Microsoft Copilot proficiency, with the ability to analyse data, generate insights, and use AI tools to improve efficiency and quality of output

• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a deadline-driven environment

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Baird is committed to diversity and provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, military service, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.