Overview

The Payroll Manager, Europe is responsible for leading payroll operations across multiple countries in the region within a global aggregate payroll model. This role will manage the Payroll Specialist(s), ensure accurate and compliant payroll processing, and partner closely with global payroll leadership, HR, Finance, and third-party providers. The Payroll Manager will serve as the regional point of accountability, balancing compliance with local statutory requirements and the consistency of global payroll governance.

Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

• Own end-to-end payroll delivery for all European countries, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and compliance with local labor and tax laws.
• Manage payroll through the global aggregator (e.g., ADP Celergo/Strada/other providers), escalating and resolving payroll issues quickly.
• Oversee payroll funding requests, GL reconciliations, and statutory payments across the region.
• Implement strong pre- and post-payroll controls in alignment with global standards.
• Coordinate with HR and Finance for data validation, accruals, and reporting requirements.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop the European Payroll Specialist(s), ensuring workload balance, accuracy, and professional growth.
• Establish SLAs and KPIs for regional payroll performance, driving accountability and service excellence.
• Act as escalation point for payroll queries in the region, supporting employees and managers with professionalism.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure payroll compliance with all European country-specific labor regulations, tax rules, and data privacy requirements (e.g., GDPR).
• Monitor legislative changes in the region and implement necessary payroll updates.

Global Collaboration

• Serve as the regional payroll lead within the global payroll operating model, reporting directly to the Sr Director, USA.
• Collaborate with global payroll leadership to drive process harmonization, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide subject matter expertise to support new country launches, acquisitions, or payroll transitions in Europe.
• Represent European payroll in global governance forums, projects, and system enhancements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, HR, or related field (preferred).
• 7+ years of payroll experience, with at least 3 years in a managerial or regional lead role.
• Experience managing multi-country payroll operations across Europe in a global aggregate model (e.g., ADP
• Celergo, Safeguard, Cloudpay etc.).
• Strong understanding of statutory payroll and tax requirements across multiple European countries.
• Proven experience working with global stakeholders across HR, Finance, and IT.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced global retail environment.
• Advanced excel skills
• Fluent in English; additional European languages a plus.