Payroll Specialist

Payroll Compliance Specialist (Europe)

Initial 2-Month Contract | Fully Remote | Competitive Day Rate | Inside IR35

A global organisation is seeking an experienced Payroll Compliance Specialist to join a critical payroll assurance project. This is an opportunity for a payroll professional with strong compliance and audit expertise to review payroll practices across multiple European countries and ensure adherence to local legislation, policies, and contractual requirements.

This role is focused on payroll compliance, governance, and risk assessment rather than day-to-day payroll processing.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct detailed payroll compliance reviews across multiple European jurisdictions.
• Assess payroll calculations to ensure compliance with statutory regulations, collective agreements, and company policies.
• Perform payroll audits, sample testing, and validation exercises.
• Identify compliance risks, control gaps, and potential financial exposures.
• Review payroll processes and system outputs to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance.
• Produce findings, recommendations, and reports for key stakeholders.
• Support remediation activities and process improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with payroll, HR, finance, and project teams throughout the review process.

Essential Experience

• Significant payroll experience within a complex, multinational environment.
• Strong background in payroll compliance, governance, auditing, or assurance.
• Experience reviewing payroll calculations and identifying compliance risks.
• Understanding of European payroll legislation and employment regulations.
• Ability to interpret contractual arrangements, policies, and statutory requirements.
• Strong analytical and investigative skills.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience analysing payroll data.
• Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities.

Desirable Experience

• Exposure to payroll audits across multiple European countries.
• Experience supporting payroll transformation or remediation projects.
• Knowledge of payroll systems such as ADP, SAP, Workday, Dayforce, SD Worx, or similar.
• Experience working within large corporate or global organisations.

What's on Offer?

• Initial 2-month contract with immediate start.
• Fully remote working arrangement.
• Opportunity to contribute to a high-profile international payroll programme.
• Competitive day rate.
• Collaborative and fast-paced project environment.

If you have a strong payroll compliance background and enjoy identifying and resolving complex payroll issues, we'd be keen to hear from you.