Remote EMEA Payroll Specialist – Cloudpay Expert in Manchester

We are looking to recruit a EMEA Payroll Specialist on an interim basis with a view of going permanent. You will play a key supporting role within the Global payroll team. THIS IS A FULLY REMOTE ROLE.

Global Payroll Operations & Administration

• Manage monthly and fortnightly payroll cycles across all international entities via external providers (through Cloudpay and ADP), ensuring accurate and timely salary and statutory payments in multiple currencies.
• Own day-to-day payroll administration, including data validation, calculations, and reporting.
• Prepare and submit payroll inputs (new hires, terminations, promotions, salary changes, bonuses, commissions, equity, benefits changes, and other deductions).
• Review and validate payroll outputs, resolving discrepancies prior to approval.
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of all payroll elements, including salaries, bonuses, commissions, equity, benefits, and statutory deductions.
• Assist with year-end processing and related reporting.
• Maintain strong internal controls supporting payroll accuracy and completeness across jurisdictions.
• Ensure compliance with tax, social security, employment, and other local payroll regulations in each country, staying current on legislative and tax law changes.
• Administer and reconcile payroll taxes, ensuring correct employee and employer deductions and remittance to relevant authorities.
• Support tax return preparation and indirect tax compliance, including reconciliations and documentation for cross-border transactions.
• Contribute to a strong international finance control environment and support payroll setup as we expand into new countries.
• Support internal and external audits with accurate, well-organised, and audit-ready documentation.
• Prepare, review, and reconcile payroll reports, including variance analysis and period-end reconciliations.
• Provide clear, timely reporting and commentary to Finance leadership and other stakeholders.

Benefits & Employee Support

• Act as a primary point of contact for payroll-related employee queries, responding with professionalism and efficiency.
• Handle inquiries related to discrepancies, missing hours, deductions, and other payroll issues, providing clear and timely resolutions.
• Manage payroll-linked benefits (health insurance, pensions, BIK, and other voluntary deductions) in line with company policies and local requirements.
• Provide helpful and responsive support to employees across multiple jurisdictions.

Process, Systems & Vendor Management

• Own relationships with external payroll providers (through Cloudpay and ADP), ensuring strong delivery service, accuracy, and controls.
• Work closely with the People team and other departments to ensure employee data is accurate and up to date ahead of payroll cut-offs.
• Coordinate on changes such as new hires, leavers, promotions, salary adjustments, benefits changes, and other data impacting payroll.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve processes, automation, accuracy, and efficiency across global payroll operations.

Skills Required:

• Experience with Cloudpay is essential.
• Proven EMEA payroll experience with hands-on experience in your local region UK and Ireland.
• A professional payroll qualification i.e. CIPP or equivalent.
• Solid understanding of local regulations, tax laws, and benefits administration.
• Proficiency in payroll software Cloudpay and MS Office (Word, Excel - including VLOOKUP's, Pivot Tables, etc.).
• Excellent attention to detail and a track record of accuracy in data entry and payroll processing.
• Strong communication, both verbal and written, to effectively interact with employees and departments.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for managing processes and cross-functional relationships.
• Ability to maintain strict data confidentiality and demonstrate a strong sense of professional integrity.
• Highly analytical capability with strong organisation and prioritisation skills, and a proven track record of meeting hard deadlines.
• A dedicated, flexible, and outspoken mindset, with a creative and pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• A solution-focused, hands-on approach, with the ability to prioritise and deliver multiple tasks in order to meet conflicting timelines.
• A proactive attitude: you flag issues and inefficiencies early, challenge the status quo and contribute ideas to improve how we work.