Senior Payroll Analyst

Sword Health is on a mission to free two billion people from pain as the world’s first and only end-to-end platform to predict, prevent and treat pain. 

Delivering a 62% reduction in pain and a 60% reduction in surgery intent, at Sword, we are using technology to save millions for our 2,500+ enterprise clients across three continents. Today, we hold the majority of industry patents, win 70% of competitive evaluations, and have raised more than $300 million from top venture firms like Founders Fund, Sapphire Ventures, General Catalyst, and Khosla Ventures.

Recognized as a Forbes Best Startup Employer in 2023, this award highlights our focus on being a destination for the best and brightest  talent. Not only have we experienced unprecedented growth since our market debut in 2020,  but we’ve also created a remarkable mission and value-driven environment that is loved by our growing team. With a recent valuation of $2 billion, we are in a phase of hyper growth and expansion, and we’re looking for individuals with passion, commitment, and energy to help us scale our impact. 

Joining Sword Health means committing to a set of core values, chief amongst them to “do it for the patients” every day, and to always “deliver more than expected” on behalf of our members and clients.

This is an opportunity for you to make a significant difference on a massive scale as you work alongside 800+ (and growing!) talented colleagues, spanning two continents. Your charge? To help us build a pain-free world, powered by technology, enhanced by people — accessible to all.

Under the direction of the Controller and reporting to the Director of Accounting, this critical role will involve working collaboratively with the people operations team. The Payroll Specialist ensures timely and accurate payments, while refining payroll procedures for regular employees and contingent workers. This is a unique opportunity to develop a global center of excellence that contributes to the attraction, engagement, and retention of talent.

What you'll be doing:

• Manage the processing and accurate completion of the monthly payroll processes for Portugal Employees and all International Contractors/EOR´s;
• Review U.S. payroll cycles and payments with an external party ensuring payroll accuracy;
• Ensure all payments are duly authorized, correct and compliant;
• Manage and own the payroll inbox by responding to inquiries with precision and efficiency;
• Establish, document, maintain and enforce proper payroll policies and procedures. Maintain accurate payroll and audit reports in accordance with statutory and filing requirements;
• Own the delivery of all fiscal and parafiscal returns associated with payroll.
• Prepare all necessary payroll accruals for the accounting team;
• Process all (CARTA) equity-related transactions, ensuring accurate reporting and statutory filings;
• Develop and maintain payroll analytics to provide insights about labor costs, trends and variances;
• Perform financial analysis on payroll data to support budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning;
• Produce other ad hoc financial and operational reporting;
• Initiate and support process improvement and efficiencies across payroll to streamline processes;
• Participate in the interim and annual audits for the Group;
• Manage internal and external payroll queries within a timely and professional manner;
• Provide thought leadership, expertise, and guidance in scaling operational efforts.

What you need to have:

• University degree in accounting, finance, human resources, or equivalent in a related field or experience minimum 4 years of experience in payroll required;
• Fluent in English (written and spoken);
• Experience with HRIS along with advanced Excel skills and ability to work with large amounts of data;
• Strong knowledge of labor and fiscal legislation in Portugal;
• Results-oriented: able to collaborate with different individuals across the organization and have a "roll-up the sleeves" attitude in order to accomplish all necessary tasks;
• Possesses a proactive attitude in researching solutions, disciplined work ethic, strong moral compass, and ability to maintain confidentiality at all times;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Analytical and problem solving capabilities.

What we would love to see:

• Experience in start-up environments helping to scale HR business, operations and processes;
• Global payroll exposure from a corporate perspective;
• Ideally experience with Primavera/Rippling or other global platforms.