Regional Payroll Operations Specialist

About the Role

The Regional Payroll Operations Specialist is responsible for the independent execution, validation, and resolution of complex payroll activities across assigned countries or regions.

This role owns end-to-end resolution of payroll issues, including investigation, correction, stakeholder communication, and documentation. The Specialist applies statutory expertise, payroll controls, and data validation practices to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and audit readiness.

This is an individual contributor role with direct accountability for payroll accuracy, issue resolution, and compliance adherence within assigned scope.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Validation, Reconciliation & Sign-Off Support

• Perform detailed validation of payroll inputs, including earnings, deductions, taxes, and employee data changes, prior to payroll processing as necessary
• Execute pre- and post-payroll reconciliations, including gross-to-net validation, variance analysis, and comparison against prior periods as necessary
• Identify, investigate, and resolve data inconsistencies, calculation errors, and out-of-tolerance variances
• Validate payroll outputs against statutory requirements, employment agreements, and internal policies
• Provide documented validation and approval support for payroll sign-off, including clear audit trails of reviews performed
• Escalate identified risks, discrepancies, or compliance concerns prior to payroll finalization

Payroll Issue Ownership & Resolution

• Own end-to-end resolution of complex payroll cases, including root cause analysis, correction, and stakeholder communication
• Investigate issues related to incorrect pay, tax miscalculations, retroactivity, benefits deductions, off-cycle payments, and statutory reporting errors
• Perform manual calculations and adjustments where system outputs are incorrect or incomplete
• Coordinate corrections across payroll systems, HR systems, and external providers, ensuring alignment before processing
• Provide clear, written explanations of payroll outcomes, corrections, and impacts to internal stakeholders and employees
• Ensure all cases are fully documented, including root cause, resolution steps, and preventive actions

Statutory Compliance & Regulatory Execution

• Apply country-specific payroll laws, including tax regulations, social contributions, and reporting obligations, within assigned regions
• Validate payroll outputs to ensure compliance with local statutory requirements and filing obligations
• Prepare and provide supporting documentation for audits, regulatory reviews, and internal compliance checks
• Identify and flag non-compliance risks, incorrect statutory applications, or gaps in payroll execution
• Ensure required statutory corrections, adjustments, and filings are completed accurately and within required timelines

Cross-Functional Coordination & Dependency Management

• Partner with HR, Benefits, Finance, and Shared Services to obtain, validate, and correct payroll inputs impacting processing
• Coordinate with external payroll providers to investigate discrepancies, validate calculations, and ensure timely corrections
• Act as the point of contact for payroll escalations, ensuring alignment across all stakeholders involved in resolution
• Drive timely resolution by managing dependencies, following up on required inputs, and ensuring accountability across teams
• Root Cause Analysis, Controls & Process Improvement
• Conduct root cause analysis on recurring payroll errors or systemic issues, identifying breakdowns in process, data, or controls
• Implement or recommend corrective actions, including process updates, validation checks, and control improvements
• Maintain and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to reflect current processes and statutory requirements
• Ensure all process changes are documented with clear control points and ownership defined
• Contribute to improving payroll accuracy, processing efficiency, and scalability through structured process enhancements

Regional Ownership & Language Support

• Own payroll operations for assigned countries or regions, including validation, issue resolution, and compliance alignment
• Apply region-specific statutory knowledge, payroll practices, and regulatory requirements in all payroll activities
• Provide support in local language(s) where required for employee communication, documentation review, and stakeholder interaction
• Ensure payroll practices align with regional legal requirements, cultural considerations, and operational expectations

Qualifications

Required

• 3-5+ years of experience in payroll operations, payroll processing, or payroll administration
• Demonstrated experience owning and resolving complex payroll issues, including reconciliations and corrections
• Strong working knowledge of payroll calculations, tax application, and statutory compliance requirements
• Experience performing payroll validation, variance analysis, and reconciliation activities
• Proficiency in payroll systems and Excel (e.g., data analysis, comparisons, reconciliations)
• Ability to handle sensitive payroll data with accuracy, confidentiality, and attention to detail
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills

Preferred

• Experience of operating within a tiered payroll or shared services delivery model
• Exposure to multi-country or regional payroll operations
• Experience working with external payroll providers or vendors
• Payroll certification (e.g., CPP or equivalent, where applicable)