Payroll Specialist (EMEA)

About the Role

Flexible on location (within the UK) and working hours

Salary £40,000 to £45,000

Our Payroll Specialist is responsible for leading payroll operations across multiple countries within the EMEA region, ensuring the accurate, compliant and timely delivery of payroll services across CMAC Group's international operations.

Reporting to Director of People, you will act as CMAC's payroll specialist, overseeing payroll administration, managing relationships with outsourced payroll providers and ensuring compliance with local legislative and regulatory requirements across all territories.

This role will play a key part in helping to establish scalable, efficient and compliant payroll processes that support future growth, including the implementation of CMAC's outsourced payroll model and the deployment of a new global payroll system.

Working closely with People, Finance, payroll vendors and employees, you will ensure payroll operations run smoothly whilst providing expert guidance, robust controls and an excellent employee experience.

The role combines international payroll expertise, compliance management, systems knowledge, process improvement and stakeholder collaboration, making it ideal for someone who enjoys managing complexity across multiple countries and payroll environments.

What Success Looks Like

• Payrolls are processed accurately, compliantly and on time across all countries.
• Payroll controls, governance and compliance standards are consistently maintained.
• A new payroll model is embedded effectively and supports efficient payroll operations.
• Payroll providers consistently deliver against agreed service levels and timelines.
• Employees receive a high quality payroll service and prompt resolution of payroll queries.
• Payroll data, records and reporting remain accurate and audit ready.
• Legislative, tax, pension and statutory obligations are met across all jurisdictions.
• Improve payroll processes through automation, standardisation and best practice.
• CMAC's transition to outsourced payroll services is implemented successfully.

Core Responsibilities

Global Payroll Administration

• Own the end-to-end payroll operation across the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Portugal and the Netherlands, serving as the subject matter expert for payroll compliance, legislative requirements and regulatory risk.
• Run in-house payroll for our UK business unit.
• Act as the primary point of contact for European outsourced payroll providers.
• Review and validate payroll inputs including new starters, salary changes, bonuses, overtime, deductions and terminations.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, on time and in full compliance with local labour law, payroll tax and statutory requirements every cycle.
• Oversee payroll onboarding of new hires, ensuring complete and accurate set-up in Deel ahead of the first pay run.
• Oversee statutory registrations and de-registrations with tax, social security and other authorities for new hires, leavers and job changes in each country in scope.
• Review payroll outputs and resolve discrepancies.
• Prepare payroll reconciliations and supporting documentation.

Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with local labour laws, tax regulations and company policies.
• Maintain and strengthen our global payroll governance framework, including clear RACI across HR, Finance, Tax, Country Managers and outsourced providers.
• Maintain knowledge of payroll legislation EMEA countries.
• Ensure controlled, auditable processes for payroll inputs, validations, approvals, bonuses, commissions and exceptions, with full audit-readiness and clear documentation.
• Ensure compliance with payroll, tax, pension, social security and statutory reporting requirements.
• Monitor legislative changes and assess their impact on payroll operations.
• Ensure payroll activities comply with GDPR and data protection requirements.
• Support internal and external audits and implement corrective actions where required.
• Prepare payroll reports for People, Finance and business stakeholders.

Payroll Systems & Transformation

• Lead payroll related projects, including system implementations, harmonisation and transformation initiatives.
• Support ambitions to bring payroll operations under a new global payroll provider and provide a stable state across all countries in scope.
• Play a key role in supporting the implementation of new HR and payroll systems.
• Support system testing, payroll parallel runs and user acceptance activities.
• Partner with HR, Finance, IT and external vendors on cross-functional projects.
• Identify opportunities to improve automation, controls and efficiency.
• Support data migration, validation and payroll system governance activities.
• Refine and fine-tune payroll processes, calendars, controls and hand-offs between HR, Finance and outsourced vendors to improve accuracy, efficiency and consistency.
• Support the implementation of our benefits review.

Continuous Improvement & Best Practice

• Strengthen data integrity and system-based controls, including integrations between outsourced providers, HRIS, rota systems, finance systems, bonus tracking and benefits platforms.
• Own vendor governance, SLAs and issue resolution with a new outsourced provider, driving resolution of recurring issues through root-cause analysis.
• Document and maintain payroll procedures and process documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, controls and efficiency.
• Promote standardisation and best practice across payroll activities.
• Ensure payroll checklists and controls are completed consistently.
• Provide payroll expertise and support across wider People Operations initiatives.

About You

You are an experienced payroll professional with strong technical payroll expertise and a passion for accuracy, compliance and service excellence.

You enjoy working across multiple countries and are confident managing complex payroll requirements, legislative changes and stakeholder relationships. Highly organised and detail-oriented, you are comfortable balancing operational payroll delivery with project and transformation activities.

You are proactive, solutions focused and enjoy improving processes, implementing new ways of working and helping organisations build scalable payroll operations. As CMAC's subject matter expert on payroll, you will play an important role in the implementation of CMAC's outsourced payroll model and new payroll technology landscape.

You thrive in environments where attention to detail, compliance, customer service and continuous improvement are critical to success.

We recognise that EMEA payroll expertise is highly specialised and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for the right candidate. Applications are welcomed from individuals seeking full-time or part-time opportunities, as well as experienced payroll professionals interested in supporting CMAC on a consultancy basis, particularly where they can bring expertise in payroll transformation or multi-country payroll operations.

Your Expertise

• Degree qualified or equivalent experience, with a recognised payroll qualification (e.g. CPP, FPC, CIPP or Global Payroll certification).
• Significant experience managing multi-country payroll operations across EMEA or global payrolls, with strong knowledge of payroll compliance, governance, controls and vendor management.
• Proven depth in international, multi-country payroll is a must. Experience running UK payroll and vendors in Spain, Netherlands, Portugal or Greece payroll would be highly advantageous.
• Experience stabilising and optimising payroll operations with new solutions and technology.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing and maintaining payroll governance, controls and approval frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, taxation, pensions and statutory requirements.
• Strong sense of ownership, accountability and risk awareness.
• Able to bring structure, discipline, predictability and trust to payroll operations.
• Experience managing outsourced payroll providers and payroll bureaus.
• Experience supporting global payroll system implementations or payroll transformation projects.
• Strong payroll reconciliation, reporting and audit experience.
• Experience working with HRIS, payroll and workforce management systems.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables and data analysis.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage multiple payroll deadlines.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• High levels of accuracy, confidentiality and attention to detail.
• Fluent English (written and spoken). Additional European languages are strong advantage.

About CMAC Group

We’re on a mission to keep the world moving - wherever, whenever people need it.

We believe disruption shouldn’t stop people in their tracks. From delayed flights to complex transport challenges, we make the complicated simple - getting people where they need to be safely and seamlessly.

Since 2007, we’ve built a technology-led platform connecting clients to a trusted global network, moving over 5 million passengers every year across the UK, Europe and beyond

We partner with airlines, rail providers, major corporations and emergency services, delivering 24/7 solutions through our family of brands when it matters most, with the scale and flexibility to handle even the most time critical journeys.

We’re not just moving people - we’re solving real world problems, creating calm in disruption and delivering exceptional service when it matters most.

CMAC Group actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

EDI is extremely important to us and we work hard to ensure that everyone connected with CMAC - whether employees, customers, Board Members, suppliers, or partners - has genuine and equal opportunities to participate in our organisation.

We welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to create an environment where everyone’s rights, dignity, and individuality are respected.

We value the unique contribution each person brings to our team and business, and we are committed to building an environment where everyone feels included and able to thrive.

CMAC Group is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates and are committed to ensuring fair, accessible, and equitable treatment for all applicants and employees.