The Senior Global Payroll Specialist plays a key role in the delivery of high‑quality global payroll services to multinational clients. The role combines advanced payroll operations, Payzaar platform expertise, client coordination, and team leadership responsibilities.
The Senior acts as the primary operational owner for assigned client engagements, overseeing end‑to‑end payrun delivery across multiple jurisdictions, managing complex issues, and ensuring payroll accuracy, compliance, and service excellence. While remaining hands‑on, the Senior also provides technical guidance, review, and support to Analysts, and acts as a key escalation point prior to Manager involvement.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Global Payroll Delivery & Payzaar Platform Leadership
- Take end‑to‑end ownership of global payroll delivery for assigned clients, coordinating weekly, fortnightly, and monthly payruns across multiple countries.
- Act as a subject‑matter expert on the Global Payroll Platform (Payzaar), overseeing complex configurations, mappings, and workflows.
- Review and validate payroll outputs, journals, statutory tasks, and reconciliations prepared by Analysts.
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues, including GL imbalances, FX application, statutory filings, and cross‑border payroll challenges.
- Lead entity onboarding activities, including pay group setup, calendar creation, GL mapping, and integration support.
- Maintain accurate payroll calendars, workflow status, and dashboard visibility within the platform.
Oversee statutory filing updates in coordination with local offices and monitor regulatory changes impacting supported countries.
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2. Client & Local Team Coordination
- Act as the primary operational point of contact for assigned clients, managing day‑to‑day communication with minimal supervision.
- Lead client operational calls, prepare agendas, and present payroll updates, risks, and action items.
- Coordinate closely with local payroll providers and internal global teams to ensure timely and accurate payroll delivery.
- Manage issue escalation, applying judgement to resolve matters independently or escalate appropriately to the Manager.
- Provide clear guidance to clients on payroll processes, timelines, deliverables, and system functionality.
Monitor shared mailboxes and ensure high‑quality, professional responses to client and internal queries.
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3. Review, Quality & Risk Management
- Perform detailed reviews of payroll outputs, journals, statutory deliverables, billing inputs, and payment files prepared by Analysts.
- Ensure payroll results are accurate, compliant, and delivered in line with agreed SLAs and internal controls.
- Identify risks, control gaps, and process inefficiencies, and propose practical mitigation or improvement actions.
Act as an escalation point for payment data validation and support resolution of exceptions before Manager approval.
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4. Team Support & Development
- Provide day‑to‑day guidance, mentoring, and technical support to Analysts and trainees.
- Review work prepared by junior team members and provide structured feedback to support development.
- Support onboarding and training of new joiners, including documentation of processes and best practices.
- Promote consistent standards, ways of working, and quality across engagements.
Act as a role model for professionalism, client service, and operational excellence.
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5. Financial & Administrative Responsibilities
A) Billing & Commercial Support
- Maintain billing trackers, including headcount changes and additional fee items.
- Support billing reviews and provide inputs to Managers where scope or pricing changes are identified.
- Assist with creation and annual review of PO templates and billing structures.
B) Payments
- Collate and review payment data, including bank details, FX rates, and backup documentation.
- Validate payment files and ensure readiness for Manager approval.
Support payment platform uploads and internal approval workflows in line with controls.
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Required Skills & Competencies
- Strong expertise in global payroll operations and multi‑country compliance.
- Advanced knowledge of payroll journals, GL logic, FX application, and statutory reporting.
- Proven ability to manage client relationships and coordinate complex payroll engagements.
- Strong review, problem‑solving, and risk awareness skills.
- Experience supporting and mentoring junior team members.
- Advanced Excel skills (data validation, comparison tools, reconciliations).
- Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple clients and deadlines.
- Clear, professional communicator with a client‑focused mindset.
