About the Role
The EMEA Payroll Specialist will have responsibility for payroll and benefits administration within the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The role will be based in London, reporting to the EMEA Payroll Manager, as part of the EMEA Payroll Hub function which processes payroll for our major markets in the region in partnership with our outsourced payroll provider (UKG)
Key tasks include preparing and validating regular payroll data, holiday and benefit calculation and other payroll employment related payments such as bonuses, commission and RSU's. The person responsible will need to ensure accurate data is maintained within the payroll systems by partnering with the P&C (HR) operations team and outsourced payroll provider. The EMEA HUB Payroll Specialist will also need to provide mandatory support for taxes at year end and handling of services not provided by the existing payroll vendor.
The initial focus of the role will be managing payroll for our German operations.
The role will be based in our London office. Morningstar follows a hybrid work model, with employees expected to be in the office four days each week.
Job responsibilities:• Prepare monthly data input for all assigned payrolls in coordination with Morningstar's payroll processing requirements.• Prepare compensation elements, holiday accrual and other benefit calculations monthly.• Review and process payroll outputs to ensure accuracy, in line with all monthly cut-off dates.• Maintain payroll processes in line with current GDPR and Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) requirements• Accurately maintain all pension and other third-party payroll requirements across the EMEA region as required• Prepare EMEA payroll review and validation documents for payroll approvers.• Partnership and continuous communication with P&C (HR) Operations to ensure all payroll activities are executed timely and accurately applying a continuous improvement mindset• Assist with all yearly EMEA Payroll legislative submissions outside the monthly payroll cycles.• Manage and resolve employee related queries submitted through ServiceNow in line with agreed SLA timelines.• Supporting the wider EMEA Payroll Team with administrative project related tasks for future and current payroll implementation activities• General assistance with project work and administrative tasks, as and when required.• Act as a partner to P&C (HR) when new benefits or payroll elements need to be established
Qualifications
• Minimum of 3 years' EMEA regional payroll experience, processing multiple payrolls from start to finish• Experience with the following countries (a strong preference): Germany and UK• Fundamental expertise on processing social security via payroll• An exceptional eye for detail as well as a proactive and methodical approach to payroll operations.• Ability to adapt to change and to thrive in a fast-paced environment.• Experience with Workday as an HRIS systems, and UKG as a payroll vendor, would be an advantage.• Understanding of payroll confidentiality, entry level GDPR and local payroll legislation requirements.• Expert time management skills.• Numeracy & intermediate excel skills.• Excellent interpersonal skills
Base Salary Compensation Range
GBP 50.600,00-71.133,33
Bonus Target:
12,5% Annual
We expect the compensation and target bonus for this role to fall within the stated range. The specific compensation offered will depend on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and other job-related factors.
Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.
302_MstarEurServSL Morningstar Europe Services, S.L. Legal Entity
Skills Required
- Minimum of 3 years' EMEA regional payroll experience, processing multiple payrolls from start to finish
- Experience with Germany and UK payroll
- Fundamental expertise on processing social security via payroll
- Experience with Workday as an HRIS systems, and UKG as a payroll vendor
- Understanding of payroll confidentiality, GDPR, and local payroll legislation requirements
- Numeracy & intermediate excel skills
Morningstar Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time away options include a paid six‑week sabbatical every four years and flexible time off in North America, with broad usage reported in 2024. Feedback suggests these programs are a distinctive strength by market standards.
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Parental & Family Support — A global minimum beginning in 2025 provides at least 16 weeks paid leave for primary caregivers and up to 8 weeks for secondary caregivers, plus at least 6 weeks paid caregiving leave. This breadth positions family support as a clear pillar of the package.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — An optional Shared Ownership program lets employees direct part of a bonus into RSUs with a 50% company match. This structure adds a notable long‑term ownership component to total rewards.
Morningstar Insights
What We Do
At Morningstar, we believe in building great products in-house in a highly collaborative, agile environment where we focus on technical excellence, the user experience, and continuous improvement. Our technologists represent a range of skills and experience levels, but they all view their work as a craft and push technology’s boundaries.
Why Work With Us
Imagining big things is in our blood -- it's transformed us from a company with just a few employees in 1984 to a leading independent investment research company with a worldwide presence today. As of April 2020, we acquired Sustainalytics to drive long-term meaningful outcomes for investors in the ESG space. Join us on this exciting journey!
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