Payroll Manager-Europe

Payroll Manager - Europe

Role Location: Southeast England (within practical commuting distance of the Western Greater London / Thames Valley corridor)

Work Arrangement: On-site

Confidentiality Notice: Exact office location will be disclosed at shortlist stage only.

Eligibility & Engagement Criteria

• This role requires regular in-office presence with limited hybrid flexibility; it is not a remote position.
• Candidates must be locally based within a reasonable and sustainable commuting distance.
• Must have the legal, unrestricted right to work in the UK.
• No visa sponsorship is available now or in the future.
• Permanent, direct employment only (no contract, interim, or third-party arrangements).

Remuneration

• Base Salary: £75,000-£85,000 (Final compensation will reflect relevant experience and alignment with role requirements)
• Annual Bonus: 15% target.

Role Overview

The Payroll Manager-Europe is responsible for overseeing multi country payroll operations across several European jurisdictions. The role ensures accurate, timely payroll delivery while maintaining compliance with local statutory requirements and internal governance standards.

This position is suited to a payroll leader who is comfortable maintaining close involvement in payroll execution while also providing structure, oversight, and team leadership. The environment requires operational discipline, consistency, and adaptability, particularly where processes or systems have evolved. Close partnership with HR, Finance, Compliance, and external payroll providers is central to success.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee end to end payroll delivery across multiple European countries, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Reinforce operational consistency following process, system, or organizational changes.
• Maintain strong payroll controls, clear workflows, and dependable execution.
• Remain actively engaged in operational details, including data validation, issue resolution, and country specific considerations.
• Investigate variances, identify compliance risks, and implement corrective actions as required.
• Ensure adherence to internal policies and local employment, tax, and statutory regulations.
• Support internal and external audits through documentation, controls, and governance practices.
• Manage relationships with payroll vendors and internal stakeholders, escalating and resolving issues appropriately.
• Partner closely with HR and business leaders on employee changes, compensation events, and operational needs.
• Lead and develop a geographically distributed payroll team, fostering accountability and capability.
• Promote a culture of ownership, operational rigor, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications / Requirements Experience & Background

• 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including direct responsibility for supporting payroll across a minimum of 3 European countries.
• Demonstrated understanding of country specific payroll regulatory requirements, statutory reporting, and compliance obligations for each supported jurisdiction.
• Proven experience operating in a multi country payroll environment, balancing standardisation with local regulatory nuances.
• Demonstrated experience operating in a lean payroll model, with clear personal accountability for payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Hands on payroll ownership experience, including involvement in data validation, reconciliations, issue resolution, and statutory filings.
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers, while retaining internal ownership for controls, vendor oversight, and escalation.
• Exposure to payroll environments that have undergone process, system, or organisational change, with a focus on stabilisation and operational consistency.
• Experience leading, mentoring, or supporting payroll team members in a distributed or cross border context.

Technical & Operational Capability

• Strong working knowledge of European payroll legislation and statutory requirements, with the ability to apply this knowledge across multiple countries.
• Ability to operate effectively across both hands on execution and managerial oversight, adjusting involvement based on business needs.
• Comfortable reviewing payroll outputs, identifying discrepancies, and challenging results when required.
• Familiarity with payroll systems, integrations, and downstream impacts to Finance and HR processes.

Education & Credentials

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, HR, or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience).
• Payroll certification or formal payroll training preferred, but not required.

Competencies & Skills

• Strong attention to detail and analytical problem solving ability.
• Confident communicator across functions, cultures, and time zones.
• Ability to mentor and guide team members through hands on leadership.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic environment with evolving processes.
• Organised, resilient, and accountable approach to payroll delivery.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Our client is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.