Manager, Regional Payroll, EMEA

Job Title: Manager, Regional Payroll EMEA

Location: United Kingdom
Reports to: Global Payroll Director

About the Role

The Regional Payroll Manager, EMEA, will oversee end-to-end payroll operations across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.  This role is currently responsible for payroll operations in the United Kingdom and Germany, with potential expansion to new geographic markets throughout EMEA.  Serving as our technical payroll regulatory expert for the region, they will establish infrastructure, standardized processes, and performance frameworks that support current operations and enable scalable geographic expansion.

This position is ideal for a hands-on payroll leader who thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous, and rapidly growing environments. The successful candidate will have deep technical expertise in EMEA payroll regulations, significant experience in payroll and HR system configuration and report customization, and a proven track record of driving operational excellence through process optimization and quality standards.

This role requires strong business process management capabilities and the ability to work effectively across time zones, partnering closely with our India-based payroll team to ensure seamless global payroll operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end payroll operations, compliance, and transformation for the EMEA region, currently U.K. and Germany with potential future geographic expansion within the EMEA region.
• Serve as the technical payroll regulatory expert for the EMEA region’s payroll statutory requirements, tax compliance, and regulatory reporting (Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), federal, state/provincial, and local).
• Design, implement, and maintain foundational payroll processes, controls, and organizational infrastructure to support current and future-state operations.
• Drive payroll system configuration, integration, and reporting customization initiatives across payroll and HR platforms (ADP, SAP, BambooHR, or similar enterprise HR Information Systems).
• Lead automation and optimization initiatives to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of payroll operations.
• Establish and maintain quality oversight frameworks with quantifiable metrics and KPIs to measure payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Manage business process design and documentation, ensuring standardization and scalability across regions.
• Lead system and supplier evaluations, implementations, and vendor management activities within the Americas region.
• Collaborate effectively across time zones with the India-based payroll team, providing guidance, training, and operational oversight.
• Partner with HR, Finance, IT, and external vendors to ensure seamless payroll execution and issue resolution.
• Establish and maintain payroll process compliance documentation, audit controls, and SOX compliance requirements.
• Conduct root cause analysis on payroll discrepancies and implement corrective and preventative actions.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and employee experience excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or related field.
• 6+ years of progressive payroll experience with 3+ years in a leadership or management role.
• Deep technical expertise in multi-country EMEA payroll regulations, tax compliance, and statutory reporting requirements.  Must include expertise in the United Kingdom.
• Experience working in fast-paced, ambiguous, high-growth environments where foundational infrastructure and processes are being established.
• Understanding of payroll governance, audit, and control frameworks (SOX, COSO, ISO, or similar).
• Significant hands-on experience with payroll and HR system configuration and custom reporting.
• Demonstrated experience establishing quality oversight frameworks with quantifiable metrics (accuracy rates, SLA compliance, error reduction, cycle-time improvements).
• Strong foundation in business process management.
• Proven success supporting system implementations, vendor evaluations, and supplier management projects.
• Experience working across multiple time zones and managing or collaborating with geographically distributed teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage complex data, compliance requirements, and multi-system integrations.
• Proficiency with payroll, finance, and HR systems such as ADP, SAP, BambooHR, or other enterprise HRIS platforms.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence across all organizational levels.

Preferred Skills

• Professional payroll certifications such as CIPP or other recognized payroll credentials.
• Advanced degree (Master's in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related field).
• Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent process improvement certification.
• Proven track record of process optimization initiatives (ex: process redesign, RPA, RDA, AI/ML, Microsoft Power Automate, API integrations).
• Experience with EMEA payroll regulations.
• Advanced Excel/data analysis skills and experience with business intelligence tools (Tableau, Power BI, etc.).
• Project management certification (PMP, Agile, etc.) or demonstrated project management experience.
• Experience designing and implementing shared service or center of excellence (COE) operating models.
• Knowledge of change management principles and experience leading organizational transformation initiatives.
• Familiarity with HR transformation, digital workplace initiatives, and employee self-service technologies.

Key Competencies

• Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of payroll regulations, system architecture, and compliance requirements.
• Change Leadership: Comfortable with ambiguity and skilled at building infrastructure in high-growth, evolving environments.
• Quality & Metrics Orientation: Data-driven approach to quality management with focus on measurable outcomes and continuous improvement.
• Process Excellence: Strong business process management capabilities with ability to design scalable, efficient workflows.
• Global Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across cultures and time zones with distributed teams.
• Strategic Thinking: Balances tactical execution with strategic vision for future-state organization design.
• Innovation Mindset: Proactive identification and implementation of automation, technology, and process improvements.
• Stakeholder Management: Strong influencing and relationship-building skills across all organizational levels.