Regional Payroll Specialist

Industry: Designer toys and collectible pieces

Location: Canary Wharf, London

Job type: Full time Permanent

About POP MART

Founded in 2010, POP MART is a market-leading entertainment company and a global champion of designer toy culture. Through global artist development, IP operations, and designer toy culture evangelism, we have built an integrated platform covering the entire designer toy value chain. Besides our original and iconic IPs such as Molly, Hirono, Skullpanda, and LABUBU, POP MART collaborates with top-tier toys and lifestyle brands including Disney, Universal Studios, and Sanrio to create collectible art toys featuring their iconic characters. POP MART has established a strong presence across key European markets, including the UK, France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany and Spain. As part of our strategic growth initiatives, we are focused on expanding our retail network into additional high-potential markets across Europe, continuing to strengthen our brand's position in the region.

What to Expect

POP MART is a fast-paced company with a young and multicultural team where you can expect to:

• Coordinate and monitor payroll operations across multiple European countries
• Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and timely execution in partnership with local payroll providers
• Act as the go-to person for staff payroll-related queries and assist with resolving payment matters
• Gain exposure to country-specific tax and social security systems across Europe
• Support the development of scalable and compliant payroll practices for a growing regional business

Benefits

POP MART offers our employees:

• Selected POP MART toys as appreciation gifts every month
• A structured bonus/commission scheme in line with the company’s and the individual’s performance
• Comprehensive training and development programs
• Regular team social events
• Paid rest breaks

The Role and Candidate

The Regional Payroll Specialist is responsible for ensuring timely and accurate payroll execution across POP MART’s European markets. This role serves as the key coordinator between internal teams, external payroll vendors, and employees, ensuring payroll operations are smooth, compliant, and responsive. In addition to managing payroll cycles and data validation, the specialist also acts as the first point of contact for employees with payroll-related questions, helping maintain clarity, consistency, and employee trust.

Responsibilities

Payroll Coordination and Execution

• Coordinate end-to-end payroll processes for multiple European countries in partnership with HR and local payroll providers
• Collect, review, and validate monthly payroll inputs including new joiners, leavers, salary changes, bonuses, commissions, and statutory leave data
• Conduct initial payroll checks and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely approval and payment
• Maintain clear and up-to-date payroll documentation for each country

Employee Support and Vendor Coordination

• Act as the first point of contact for employee payroll queries, ensuring timely and accurate resolution of issues related to pay, deductions, tax documents, or benefits
• Liaise with external payroll vendors to ensure service accuracy, issue resolution, and up-to-date compliance with local payroll laws
• Monitor payroll cut-offs, timelines, and deliverables to ensure no delays in processing
• Support the distribution of payslips, tax forms, and required statutory documents to employees

Compliance, Reporting, and Collaboration

• Ensure payroll processes comply with local legislation including tax, social security, and statutory reporting obligations
• Collaborate with the Finance team to reconcile payroll data with accounting and GL submissions
• Prepare regular payroll reports for HR, Finance, and leadership teams
• Support payroll audits, internal reviews, and due diligence activities as required

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Finance, Accounting, or a related field
• Practical experience managing or coordinating payroll processes across multiple European countries
• Strong understanding of payroll legislation, tax deductions, social security contributions, and statutory compliance
• Fluent in English; additional European languages are an advantage
• Proficient in Excel and familiar with payroll or HR systems such as ADP, Workday, Sage, or local equivalents
• Strong attention to detail, confidentiality, and service orientation
• Eligible to work in the UK and open to occasional travel within Europe

Desirable but Not Essential

• Experience working in a regional or shared services payroll function
• Familiarity with European countries’ payroll processes and statutory requirements
• Knowledge of GDPR and best practices for managing personal data in payroll operations