International Payroll Operations Manager (12 nmonth FTC)
Because we strive to put people first.
Culture, our way.
Payroll at Primark
What’s a career at Primark all about? The positive impact you’re making, the experiences you’re having and the people you’re with. You’re our inspiration. Embrace what sets you apart, own your career and develop in ways you never expected. Leave your mark. And do it your way.
What You’ll Get
People are at the heart of what we do here, so it’s essential we provide you with the right environment to perform at your very best.
Let’s talk lifestyle: Healthcare, pension, and potential bonus. 27 days of leave, plus bank holidays and if you want, you can buy 5 more. Because Primark is all about tailoring to you, we offer Tax Saver Tickets, fitness centre, and a subsidised cafeteria.
Job DescriptionThe International Payroll Operations Manager is responsible for the end-to-end operational delivery of our international payrolls, working with stakeholders to deliver best in class payroll services.
Key Responsibilities:
- Build and maintains a strong high-performing team.
- Manage the payroll process for supported countries from start to finish, ensuring timely and accurate processing, delivery and reconciliation.
- Review and approve payrolls in line with compliance and control processes.
- Continually look for areas of improvement within the international payroll operations process.
- Take the lead in new markets and new store implementations for payroll.
- Lead/support with Global Payroll Team meetings/calls.
- Stabilisation of new markets/stores by successfully transitioning them into existing processes.
- Manages the day-to-day operational relationship with our payroll vendors and escalate any poor delivery performance to Regional Managers and Global Process owner.
- Ensure processing of bank files and payments to employees and various third parties such as tax authorities.
- Support in case of labour inspections and payroll audits.
- Testing system upgrades and new functionality rollouts, ensuring updates to statutory rules are implemented within the payrolls and communicated to stores.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders to deliver payroll accurately and on time.
- Responsible for payroll calendars and deadlines whilst being aware of tax, social security and bank holiday deadlines for all mainland Europe.
- Help minimise costs by identifying tasks that could be managed internally instead of being delegated to suppliers.
- First escalation point to support with payroll discrepancies.
- Support/Lead projects as necessary.
Qualifications, Experience and Skills:
- Minimum 7 years’ experience of managing EMEA payrolls and payroll systems.
- CIPP qualified or equivalent.
- Strong project management experience.
- Demonstrable experience of managing and coaching individuals and teams in high pace environments
- Ability to lead and influence others
- Ability to build effective working relationships with both internal and external Effective and persuasive written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information in an understandable manner to all areas of the business
- Ability to lead teams to deliver tasks at pace whilst maintaining focus on quality service
- Demonstrates Primark behaviours and values, with sound judgement, unquestionable ethics and integrity with a high degree of transparency and trust.
- A solid understanding of efficient and effective payroll processes
- Problem solver with an ability to identify and embed process improvements
- Demonstrates a flexible mindset with a positive, proactive attitude
- xcellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines under pressure whilst maintaining strong personal focus on detail and accuracy
- Excellent excel/MS Skills.
- Demonstrates a hands-on approach to problem solving.
- Detailed company and legislative knowledge.
- Ability in managing sensitive matters whilst ensuring all Primark information remains confidential to the business.
Does this sound like you? Great, because we can’t wait to see what you’ll bring. You’ll be supported within a team of equally capable people, celebrating who you are and aiding you reach your potential. At Primark, we’re excited about our future - and we’re excited to develop yours.
About Primark
At Primark, people matter. They’re the beating heart of our business and the reason we’ve grown from our first store in Dublin in 1969 to a £9bn+ turnover business and over 80,000 colleagues and over 440 stores in 17 countries today. Our values run through everything we do. In essence, we're Caring and always strive to put people first. We're also Dynamic, bravely pushing the boundaries to stay ahead. And finally, we succeed Together.
If you need any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request, during your recruitment journey, such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, mobility access, or assistive technology please contact your talent acquisition specialist.
All offers of employment are subject to background checks, including right to work, reference education and for some roles criminal, and financial checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our talent acquisition team to discuss.
Req ID: JR-13159
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Skills Required
- Minimum 7 years of experience managing EMEA payrolls and payroll systems
- CIPP qualification or equivalent
- Strong project management experience
- Experience managing and coaching individuals and teams in high-paced environments
- Ability to lead and influence others
- Ability to build effective internal and external working relationships
- Effective and persuasive written and verbal communication skills, including presenting complex information clearly
- Ability to lead teams to deliver tasks quickly while maintaining service quality
- Strong judgment, ethics, integrity, transparency, and trust
- Solid understanding of efficient and effective payroll processes
- Problem-solving ability and experience identifying and embedding process improvements
- Flexible, positive, and proactive mindset
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines under pressure with attention to detail and accuracy
- Excellent Excel and Microsoft Office skills
- Hands-on approach to problem solving
- Detailed company and legislative knowledge
- Ability to manage sensitive matters and maintain confidentiality
Primark Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Primark and has not been reviewed or approved by Primark.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is often characterized as fair or good compared to similar retail roles, and overtime availability can improve take-home earnings. Recent UK minimum-rate increases and the removal of age-related pay tiers reinforce a sense of improving pay fairness.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off stands out as comparatively strong for retail, with full-time roles described as having notably generous PTO alongside sick time and paid holidays. This breadth can increase the overall value of the compensation package beyond hourly wages.
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Parental & Family Support — Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and surrogacy payments are positioned as meaningful additions to the rewards package. Ongoing colleague discounts and family-oriented support contribute to a more rounded benefits offering.
Primark Insights
What We Do
Primark is an international fashion retailer employing more than 80,000 colleagues across 17 countries in Europe and the US. Founded in Ireland in 1969 under the Penneys brand, Primark aims to provide affordable choices for everyone, from great quality everyday essentials to stand-out style across women’s, men’s and kids, as well as beauty, homeware and accessories. With a focus on creating great retail experiences, Primark has over 440 stores globally and continues to expand with the aim of reaching 530 stores by the end of 2026. Primark is working to make more sustainable fashion affordable for everyone through its Primark Cares strategy, a multi-year programme that focuses on giving clothing a longer life, protecting life on the planet and supporting the livelihoods of the people who make Primark clothes. As part of this, Primark unveiled nine commitments it is working to achieve by 2030. These commitments include making all of its clothes from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030, halving carbon emissions across its value chain and pursuing a living wage for workers in its supply chain.








