Job Description

About Sonder

At Sonder, we believe every person deserves to feel safe, supported, and empowered to be at their best — wherever they are. We’re redefining workplace health, safety, and wellbeing through a seamless blend of technology and human expertise. Our mobile platform provides ²⁴⁄₇, real-time support from safety, medical, and mental health professionals, and in critical situations we go beyond digital — deploying on-the-ground assistance when it matters most.

Since our founding in 2017, Sonder has grown rapidly across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Backed by Seek and Blackbird, we now support 1,000,000+ members and are on a mission to scale globally.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Payroll Specialist who can own the full end-to-end pay function across all three entities here at Sonder - AU, NZ and the UK. This is a part-time, permanent role (2 days per week) built for someone who genuinely enjoys the complexity of multi-jurisdiction payroll and brings the rigour to match. If you find award interpretation, statutory deadlines, and clean GL reconciliations satisfying rather than stressful, this one’s for you.

What You’ll Be Doing

Own fortnightly end-to-end pay processing across Sonder Australia, New Zealand, and UK, that is accurate, on time, every cycle
Manage all statutory obligations across three jurisdictions: STP Phase 2 and SGC (AU), PAYE, KiwiSaver, and Holidays Act (NZ), and HMRC RTI, National Insurance, and auto-enrolment via Smart Pension (UK)
Build and maintain documented payroll runbooks for each jurisdiction, to a standard a backup operator could actually use
Reconcile payroll to GL in Xero each month - super, PAYG, PAYE, and pension liability accounts with the Financial Controller in a sign-off, not operational, capacity
Serve as the in-house subject matter expert at the intersection of payroll, people policy, and employment law, flagging compliance risks before they become problems
Be the first point of contact for employee payroll queries, handling sensitive remuneration data with discretion and clear communication

What You Bring

5+ years of end-to-end payroll processing experience, with at least 2 years across multiple entities
Strong working knowledge of Australian payroll, including modern award interpretation, STP Phase 2, and SGC obligations
Direct experience with NZ payroll (Holidays Act 2003, KiwiSaver, IR348/EMS) and/or UK payroll (HMRC RTI, auto-enrolment, statutory pay)
Hands-on experience with Employment Hero or a comparable cloud payroll platform
Working familiarity with Xero general ledger integration and month-end reconciliations
A control mindset - organised, calm under deadline pressure, and proactive about process gaps

Experience and Requirements

Certificate IV in Payroll Administration, ATO-recognised payroll qualification, or equivalent demonstrated experience
Right to work in Australia
Able to operate independently within a part-time engagement, without needing day-to-day direction

Why Join Sonder?

At Sonder, we thrive in a fast-paced, high-performance environment with a strong commitment to our people. Our team is a collaborative, vibrant group of passionate professionals, dedicated to making a real impact on people’s lives every day.

Hybrid and flexible working environment. Enjoy the perfect balance of in-office collaboration and work from home flexibility, empowering you to optimise your productivity and work-life balance.
Our employees and their families get free access to the Sonder app with ²⁴⁄₇ support.
Paid parental leave with an attractive return to work policy, 12 weeks for Primary Carers and 4 weeks for Secondary Carers, plus our Primary Carers return to work at 80% for the first 3 months at full pay.
2 days of study leave to invest in your professional growth.
Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP) – share in Sonder’s success.
Salary Packaging and novated leasing.
Access $250 annually to invest in your wellbeing, empowering you to choose the support that best fits your needs.
Free coffee and a dog-friendly office at our Sydney HQ.
Volunteer leave – 2 days per year to participate in meaningful causes and give back to the community.

Check out our life page for more info: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sondersafe/life/

At Sonder, we are committed to fostering a workplace that reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. Our members come from all backgrounds, and we know that a diverse team helps us better understand and support their needs. We encourage applications from people of all ages, abilities, cultural backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and religious beliefs. We are proud to be an inclusive employer and strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer and all hiring decisions are based on merit, capability, and alignment with the role.

Due to the nature of our industry, all Sonder employees are required to complete a National Police Check and Working With Children Check.

Payroll Specialist