Lead Payroll Specialist

About the role

We are looking for a Lead Payroll Specialist to support our colleagues across the business by ensuring payroll is delivered accurately, on time, and right first time. Our aim is to provide a first-class payroll service so our colleagues can focus on what they do best.

This role goes beyond payroll execution. We are looking for a senior professional who takes end-to-end ownership of payroll operations, proactively plans workload and onboarding, anticipates risks, and ensures continuity even when priorities shift.

In the Netherlands You will oversee payroll for approximately 1,300 colleagues across 34 stores, working closely with payroll associates, People Operations, and Finance. You will act as a senior owner within the team, not only as a subject-matter expert.

JD Sports is one of the world’s leading multi-channel retailers in sports fashion, streetwear, and outdoor brands, with over 90,000 colleagues in 36 countries and more than 4,500 stores worldwide. In the Netherlands, we continue to grow and are looking for motivated talent who want to actively contribute to shaping our People culture.

We value diversity and inclusion and strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued, included, and celebrated.

And putting the colleague first is at the heart of what we do!

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the accurate and timely completion of payroll for 1,300 colleagues across 34 stores.
• Take ownership of investigating and resolving complex payroll queries, discrepancies, and system-related blockers.
• Own payroll delivery outcomes, ensuring continuity even when circumstances change (e.g. absences, system issues, competing priorities).
• Supervise, coach, and train payroll associates on payroll processes and colleague inquiries.
• Own the end-to-end onboarding of new payroll team members, including first-week planning, buddy coordination, knowledge transfer, and follow-up
• Proactively identify operational risks (capacity gaps, backlogs, compliance risks, system delays) and propose mitigation plans in advance.
• Coordinate and maintain payroll planning tools (task mapping, onboarding plans, backlog tracking), ensuring clarity on ownership, priorities, and progress.
• Measure team performance and continuously identify opportunities to improve processes, accuracy, and efficiency, implementing improvements with management support.
• Ensure full compliance with Dutch tax legislation, labour law, and pension regulations.
• Prepare and deliver monthly payroll reports for senior management and Finance.
• Resolve payroll discrepancies and respond to payroll-related employee inquiries in a timely and structured manner.
• Support Finance during payroll audits, providing required files, data, and explanations.
• Manage payroll systems AFAS and MANUS, ensuring they remain up to date, compliant, and functioning effectively.
• Collaborate with, support, and train managers and other departments to ensure smooth and compliant payroll operations.
• Act as a senior role model within the team, demonstrating ownership, proactive communication, and decision-making without requiring escalation for day-to-day coordination.

Required Skills

• Mandatory fluent in Dutch and English (written and spoken)
• Mandatory strong knowledge of Dutch payroll, tax legislation and pension regulations.
• Proven experience in owning dutch payroll operations end to end, not only executing tasks.
• Experience supervising, coaching, or mentoring colleagues.
• Comfortable taking ownership and making decisions in ambiguous or changing situations.
• Experience in onboarding and knowledge transfer within payroll teams.
• AFAS payroll experience
• Experience with MANUS or similar time & attendance systems is a strong plus.
• Experience with Workday or Dayforce is a big plus.
• Strong Excel skills and analytical mindset.
• High attention to detail with a proactive, solution-oriented approach.
• Team player who can also work independently and take ownership.

What We Offer

At JD, people are at the centre of everything we do. Through the JD Foundation, colleagues can take part in charity volunteering opportunities, and we actively support wellbeing through health and engagement initiatives.

• Employee discount across JD Group brands (JD Sports, Size?, Footpatrol, HIP)
• Pension scheme
• Access to 'Benefits at work' discount app for many different brands
• 24 vacation days per year (based on full-time employment)
• International career development opportunities within the JD Group
• Discount on health insurance
• Access to TELUS wellbeing platform
• 38-hour work week with a hybrid setup

Apply now and create your own path – JOIN TEAM JD!

Established in 1981 with a single store in the North West of England, the JD Group is a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion and Outdoor brands. The Group now has 4,850 stores (as at 1 February 2025) across 49 countries (including franchises and joint ventures) with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. JD Sports Netherlands can be found at 35 locations in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen, and Venlo. 

An Integrity check via the warning register of the Fraud Approach Retail Foundation is part of the application procedure.