Payroll Specialist

Ready to join the future of work? Join our customer as a Senior Payroll Specialist, EMEA with a leading HR platform company that's building a world without borders. They make it easy to hire and manage global teams while ensuring compliance and streamlining processes for remote-first companies and digital nomads alike.

Our customer is continuously growing their talent pipeline with exceptional payroll professionals. This role is responsible for end-to-end delivery of payroll in one of the following countries: Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands or Germany, as well as several smaller European payrolls managed via their external vendor network. As they value work-life balance, please only apply if you're based within 2 hours of the Central European Timezone.

We believe in building relationships with top talent and would welcome your application to be considered for upcoming positions within their expanding team. If you're passionate about international payroll and interested in being part of this exciting journey, don't hesitate to reach out! Your next career adventure might be just around the corner.

What you will do as a Senior Payroll Specialist, EMEA...

* Own the end-to-end payroll process for one key focus country (France, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands or Germany), ensuring accurate, timely and fully compliant payroll runs.

* Coordinate and oversee vendor-managed payrolls for additional smaller European countries, reviewing calculations, challenging discrepancies, and ensuring adherence to agreed SLAs and KPIs.

* Act as the internal subject matter expert for your focus country's payroll, covering tax, social security, benefits, and labour-law-related payroll requirements.

* Manage monthly payroll cycles from data collection and validation through to approvals, payments, reconciliations, and statutory/management reporting for your allocated countries.

* Partner closely with HR, Finance, Legal and external providers to resolve complex payroll queries, support audits, and continuously improve payroll processes and controls.

* Monitor, interpret and implement legislative and regulatory changes impacting your countries, updating documentation and proactively communicating impacts to stakeholders.

What we are looking for…

* 5+ years of hands-on, end-to-end payroll experience, including at least 3 years managing payroll for a European country either in-house or through close vendor management.

* Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of country-specific payroll legislation for at least one of the above countries (income tax, social security, statutory benefits, reporting, and payroll-relevant labour law).

* Strong experience working with external payroll vendors in a multi-country European environment, including data validation, output review, and SLA management.

* High attention to detail and strong analytical skills, with a track record of identifying issues, implementing robust controls, and improving payroll processes.

* Excellent stakeholder management and problem-solving skills, with the ability to explain complex payroll and country rules clearly to non-specialists.

* Excellent English communication skills (written and spoken) and the ability to work effectively in a remote, fast-paced, and globally distributed team.

Desirable (but not required):

* Professional fluency in the language of your focus country (French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, or German).

* End-to-end payroll experience in one of the top 8 countries

* Experience working in a centralised or shared service payroll environment supporting multiple European countries.

* Previous experience in an EOR/PEO, global employment, or HR tech environment.

* Advanced Excel skills and experience with Google Workspace.

Benefits and perks…

* Global, remote, and thriving: Join a global team of talented individuals spread across 26 countries. The flexible work program lets you work from anywhere, anytime. Whether it's a beachside office or a cosy home office, the choice is yours.

* Your well-being is our priority : Mental health matters, which is why they offer a dedicated Well-Being Day - a full day off just to recharge and relax.

* Get fit and stay active: Whether it's yoga, weightlifting, or a quick jog, work out on your terms, at a discount with subsidised gym memberships.

* Learn, grow, and develop: They believe in constant growth. With the Training & Development Allowance, you'll have all the opportunities you need to keep expanding your skills and knowledge.

* Stay connected: Take part in exciting annual team meetups!

* Diversity is our superpower: They are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

*Benefits vary depending on location due to local laws and regulations.

Our customer is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. If you need any accommodations during the recruitment process, please let us know. We're here to support you every step of the way!