Senior Specialist - Payroll, South Europe

On is expanding its Talent Operations team to keep pace with rapid growth, and the Senior Specialist – Payroll, South Europe will join this group to oversee payroll for its European workforce. The position sits within the Talent Operations function, which aims to deliver a smooth employee experience across the company, and will primarily serve France and Italy while also supporting other EMEA entities. The day‑to‑day work involves managing the full payroll cycle for France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, from gathering input for external providers to reviewing draft runs and ensuring compliance with local regulations. The specialist will coordinate different payroll calendars, guarantee timely salary payments and payslip distribution, and produce month‑end payroll reports for Finance while reconciling any differences. Additional duties include enrolling staff in local health and pension schemes, handling employee payroll queries, preparing legally required documents, and maintaining data feeds between Workday and the payroll vendor. The role also requires communication with tax authorities and benefit carriers, collaboration with HR partners on new initiatives, designing processes that meet internal SOX controls, setting up payroll in new markets, conducting regular audits, and managing equity and fringe‑benefit reporting. Candidates must bring at least four years of payroll experience in France or Italy, with solid knowledge of operational, legislative and best‑practice requirements for those jurisdictions. Experience handling retail payroll, working with external payroll firms, and strong Excel abilities are essential. The applicant should be fluent in English and at least one local language, demonstrate meticulous stakeholder management, confidentiality and an analytical mindset. Additional assets include experience in other European countries, proficiency in extra languages, and a willingness to take on payroll for new markets as the company expands. Being part of a forward‑thinking Talent team that values innovative solutions and a seamless employee journey is a distinctive aspect of this role.