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PortSwigger

Payroll & People Ops Specialist

Knutsford
Posted about 16 hours ago
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Who are PortSwigger

PortSwigger exists to enable the world to secure the web. We build the tools practitioners trust, the knowledge that trains security professionals, and a community that makes anyone who cares about security better — so anyone can make the internet safer. Our products are crafted with care, backed by deep research, and we lead through generous innovation: winning by setting the bar higher and sharing what we create, turning commercial success into wider positive impact.

Our culture didn't happen by accident — it was built deliberately, and it's something we protect with the same care we put into everything we make. We default to trust — brilliant people doing brilliant work, free from micromanagement. We aim for excellence, and we do it with care; performance and compassion go hand in hand. Joy, mastery and purpose belong together here — and if the work stops feeling good, we take that seriously.

What you'll be doing

You'll take genuine end-to-end ownership of critical People processes. Payroll is the core of the role — business-critical work that has to run accurately, reliably and with real discretion.

But this isn't an administration job. We want someone who sees a fiddly manual process and immediately starts thinking about how it could work better. You'll have the autonomy to challenge existing approaches, improve how information flows between systems and teams, and use automation and AI where they make a genuine difference. You'll also help us raise the bar on reward and benefits — looking at what excellent organisations do, and taking strong ideas from research through to something Swiggers actually feel.

Reasons to use Rodeo

I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?

Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.

Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.

Start with a chat, not a search bar

Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.

P

Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme

PwC·London, UK
£35,000/yr

Why you're a good match

Strong

Your economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.

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It searches the market for you

Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.

Why you're a good match

You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.

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Strong

Experience fit

Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.

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Strong

Only hits

No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.

  • Own payroll end to end — accurate, on time, and handled with complete discretion.
  • Run and improve People Operations processes across the employee lifecycle.
  • Redesign manual or fragmented processes to be simpler and more robust, fixing root causes rather than adding workarounds.
  • Use systems, automation and AI to remove repetitive work and raise quality.
  • Make sure People data flows reliably between systems, and own or contribute to payroll, HRIS and other People-system improvements.
  • Take reward and benefits improvements from research and proposal through to implementation and adoption.
  • Work directly with Swiggers to understand problems, communicate changes clearly, and help people adopt better ways of working.
  • Anticipate issues and make sound decisions independently, escalating where it genuinely matters.

Success looks like being a safe pair of hands for critical work — trusted to decide well, raise issues early and hold a high standard — while leaving visibly better processes behind you.

Requirements

  • Several years hands-on across Payroll, People Operations or HR Operations, including owning payroll processes with limited direction.
  • Experience across the wider employee lifecycle, plus meaningful exposure to reward and benefits.
  • Strong systems and data thinking — you understand how information should move reliably between systems.
  • Evidence of materially improving complex or manual processes, including using technology, automation or AI to do it.
  • Experience implementing or significantly improving a payroll, HRIS or other People system.
  • Strong problem-solving on messy operational problems with multiple dependencies.
  • Excellent judgement and an exceptionally high level of discretion with sensitive information.
  • Clear communication — you can explain your recommendations, reasoning and impact to people with no payroll background.
  • A curious, practical approach to learning, and a constructive response to feedback.

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Rewards

At PortSwigger, we believe people should be paid what they're truly worth — not just what we could get away with or what the market dictates. That's why we pay above the market rate, and review it regularly.

In our 2025 survey, 80% of Swiggers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their reward — against a YouGov benchmark of 40% for knowledge workers. The philosophy works.

Alongside a strong base salary, we offer share options and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your whole-person wellbeing.

Want to know more? Explore our reward philosophy.

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Location

Knutsford, England, United Kingdom

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