EMEA Payroll Manager

Are you an experienced Payroll Manager with a strong background in payroll controls, compliance and governance? Are you confident overseeing payroll operations across a multi-country environment, ensuring accuracy, consistency and robust financial controls?

We are working with a leading global organisation seeking an EMEA Payroll Manager to take responsibility for overseeing payroll operations across the region, ensuring effective processes, strong internal controls and compliance with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.

This is a key role within the Finance function, offering the opportunity to lead and develop a payroll team while driving operational efficiency, strengthening control processes and ensuring the effective delivery of payroll across the business.

A key focus will be maintaining robust payroll control processes, identifying potential risks, ensuring audit readiness and driving continuous improvement across payroll systems and procedures.
You will also act as a key point of contact for payroll-related matters, providing guidance to internal stakeholders and working closely with HR, Finance and external providers.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and control the completion of monthly payrolls across the EMEA region, ensuring accurate processing and timely payment.
• Maintain and strengthen payroll control processes, ensuring appropriate checks, authorisations and reconciliations are in place.
• Ensure compliance with relevant statutory, regulatory and legislative requirements across the payroll function.
• Manage internal and external audit requirements, including SOX compliance, ensuring robust controls and accurate supporting documentation.
• Identify, assess and mitigate payroll-related risks, escalating potential issues and implementing appropriate corrective actions.
• Oversee payroll adjustments, deductions, overtime, expenses, benefits and other payment variations.
• Manage statutory and regulatory monthly and year-end returns, ensuring accurate and timely submissions.
• Monitor payroll systems, databases and procedures, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy and consistency.
• Produce detailed payroll management reports and provide meaningful information to senior stakeholders.
• Lead payroll-related projects and implement agreed system and process improvements.
• Manage, mentor and develop the payroll team, encouraging high performance, accountability and continuous development.
• Provide payroll guidance and support to employees and internal stakeholders, working closely with HR, Finance and external providers.

About You
You will be an experienced payroll professional with a strong understanding of payroll operations, financial controls and compliance requirements. You will be comfortable taking ownership of payroll processes across a complex business environment and have the confidence to identify risks, challenge existing procedures and implement improvements.
You will ideally bring:

• Proven experience managing payroll operations, ideally across an EMEA or multi-country environment.
• Strong knowledge of payroll controls, governance, audit processes and risk management.
• Experience working within a statutory and regulatory framework.
• A good understanding of internal controls and SOX compliance.
• Experience overseeing monthly payroll cycles and statutory/year-end reporting.
• Previous experience managing, motivating and developing a team.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret payroll data and produce management reports.
• Experience managing payroll systems, databases and process improvements.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence and advise stakeholders across the business.

If you are an EMEA payroll professional who combines strong operational knowledge with a real focus on controls, compliance and continuous improvement, we would be keen to hear from you.