Payroll Subject Matter Expert (SME) - Germany

The Payroll Subject Matter Expert (SME) will serve as the primary expert on payroll regulations, compliance, and best practices across designated regions. This role is responsible for guiding payroll processes, supporting client implementations, ensuring regulatory adherence, and optimizing payroll operations. The SME will collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders to drive process improvements and provide expert support for payroll-related matters. Additionally, the SME will oversee end-to-end payroll processing to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance with all relevant regulations. 

Roles & Responsibilities

• Oversee and execute end-to-end payroll processing, ensuring timely and accurate payroll runs. 
• Ensure compliance with labor laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements in supported jurisdictions. 
• Ensure accurate calculations for statutory deductions, benefits, and remittances. 
• Conduct regular payroll reconciliations, audits, and compliance checks. 
• Stay updated on changes in payroll legislation and implement necessary adjustments. 
• Lead the onboarding and implementation of payroll solutions for both new and transitioning German clients, including implementation in our internal Blue Ocean system and DATEV. 
• Advise clients on payroll best practices, configurations, and process optimizations. 
• Troubleshoot payroll issues and ensure timely and accurate resolutions. 
• Collaborate with internal teams (HR, Finance, Implementation) to align payroll processes with overall business needs. 
• Identify inefficiencies in payroll operations and recommend improvements to enhance accuracy and efficiency. 
• Support payroll automation initiatives and system enhancements in collaboration with IT and product teams. 
• Develop and maintain payroll documentation, SOPs, and training materials. 
• Serve as a trusted advisor for payroll-related inquiries from internal stakeholders and clients. 
• Deliver training sessions on payroll systems, compliance, and process usage. 
• Serve as the primary point of contact (POC) for payroll-related audits, coordinating with internal stakeholders, external auditors, and relevant authorities, and ensuring timely and accurate documentation and responses. Accompany and support audit processes to ensure full compliance and resolution of findings. 
• Work closely with external partners, including payroll vendors and relevant authorities or agencies. 

• 5+ years of payroll experience, including hands-on processing and compliance oversight. 

• In-depth knowledge of payroll legislation, tax regulations, and employment standards. 
• Experience with payroll system implementations, process improvements, and automation. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve complex payroll issues. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain payroll concepts to diverse stakeholders. 
• Required hands-on experience with DATEV and strong proficiency in payroll software, with advanced Microsoft Excel skills. 
• Payroll certification is preferred. 
• Fluency in English and German is required. 
• Multilingual proficiency is a plus, depending on the regions supported. 

This role combines operational payroll expertise with strategic subject matter responsibilities, playing a key role in ensuring both compliance and continuous improvement in payroll service delivery. 

ABOUT US

GoGlobal is the leading professional services company to guide, establish and manage global operations with compliance and confidence. We bring the human touch to entering new markets and consolidating vendors through a single point of management. With a presence in over 140 countries on six continents and growing, we make running a global business easy.

Business & Corporate Services provided:

• Entity Solutions: Entity establishment, Corporate secretarial & directorship services, Domicile services, Dormancy/Liquidation
• HR Solutions: Global recruitment, Employer of Record (EOR), Agent of Record (AOR), Global benefits, Global payroll, International HR Consulting
• Finance Solutions: Accounting & Tax

For more information, please visit GoGlobal.com

OVERVIEW

We Measure Success by Results, Not Hours Worked

No timesheets.

At GoGlobal, we give you the autonomy to make decisions that create real impact. We prioritize results over hours worked, focusing on quality of outcomes rather than tracking time.

As a privately owned company, we are free from the pressures of venture capital or private equity investors demanding exponential growth in unreasonable time frames.

Sometimes, things just take time to do well. In our business, delivering great results is a process - and we're committed to doing it right.

We are not for sale. We believe that financial success is a natural outcome of our work, not the primary goal. Unlike many investors who view money as a goal, our focus is on long-term growth and sustainable success.

We are a global team, built for those who want to go further. Here's what your career at GoGlobal looks like:

• A company small enough for your voice to be heard meaningfully, yet large enough to make a global impact
• Collaborating with a diverse, global and supportive team
• Built for the long-haul - no VC or PE pressure, just a focus on sustainable growth

WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT

We Make Growing Your Career Possible

• We operate with the benefits of a partnership without the complexities of a partnership. Our hybrid partnership-corporate model offers all employees the opportunity to become a partner, while maintaining a streamlined corporate structure so that decisions are made quickly

• We do not offer equity plans. As we are not for sale and are not chasing an exit, "stock options" hold little value in our business model. Instead, we provide opportunities for outstanding employees to make partner and share in the profits. We believe it's better to build lasting value than to chase a one-time payout

• We prioritize organic and sustainable growth. Expanding operations quickly by way of mergers and acquisitions might seem appealing, but the reality is integrating diverse cultures can be challenging. We're proud of our own culture and prefer to grow it our way

• We're global. We offer career opportunities across the world-whether it's new job roles or international locations

• English is our official language, but for many, it's our second language. We embrace this and find it rewarding communicating with colleagues from all over the world

• We are not a family. We operate more like a high-performing sports team where each individual's contribution is crucial to our collective success

• We keep things simple and collaborative. Our structure makes it easy for teams to work together across borders so we can serve our clients with global needs more effectively. Unlike big, siloed companies, we work seamlessly to handle international deals without the headaches of territorial ownership

• We believe in transparency and trust. Every month, we share our financials with the team so everyone knows where we stand and what's coming next. It's all about open communication, building trust and empowering every individual to be part of our journey. We don't tell you what to think - we provide the information you need to make your own informed decisions

• We believe flexibility drives success. Our company is built on trust, and that's why we embrace fully remote work, and hybrid options in some countries. Forget rigid office routines - it's old school! This flexibility fuels productivity, strengthens our workforce, and ensures we remain agile in a fast-changing world.

Ready to take the next step in your career with us? Apply now!

**Kindly review the provided privacy notice (LINK) to gain a comprehensive understanding of our policies and practices governing the treatment of your Personal Data. By applying, you consent to background and reference checks, to the extent permissible by law.