People Operations and Payroll Lead

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default. Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN on a simple truth: privacy is a fundamental human right. Since then, we’ve built the world’s largest encrypted email service (Proton Mail) and expanded into Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar—tools used by millions globally to protect their freedom, fight censorship, and keep their data safe. We are profitable, independent (no VC control), and selectively hire from the top 1% of applicants. Our 500+ team members across 50+ countries come from leading organizations and elite academic backgrounds. We move fast, keep hierarchy light, and prioritize impact over optics. If you want to do meaningful work with exceptionally high-caliber people, this is it.

Role Overview

The Proton team is currently distributed across 9 different offices (Geneva, Zurich, London, Paris, Barcelona, Skopje, Taipei, Prague and Vilnius) or engaged remotely in many other countries worldwide. Reporting to the People Experience Manager, you'll manage, mentor and develop a team of 4-5 People Operations & Payroll Partners across different locations, standing for our people’s day-to-day experience, facilitating their work life and positively influencing their productivity/engagement internationally.

Some of our current projects include:

• Improving our next generation HRIS, fully integrated with its ecosystems, to gain simplification and automation in our processes.
• Designing and Streamlining the collaboration with a recently implemented global payroll provider, fully integrated with HRIS and Finance systems to gain efficiently at scale.
• Improve the automated contractual management system and scaling our immigrations processes.

Your engagement and due diligence will directly impact the retention of our talent, while you'll also contribute to the echoing reputation and success of Proton by ensuring compliance and integrity in all our people processes. We're a growing company, with a good level of business maturity but without the burden of corporate processes. Agility and velocity are commonplace at Proton, making this role a unique opportunity to innovate and develop your own way of leading our People Operations & Payroll team.

What You’ll Do

• Ensure engagement of your direct reports and provide them guidance on day-to-day responsibilities.
• Oversee the HRIS (HiBob), ensuring data accuracy and integrity.
• Drive exceptional experience throughout the entire team members' lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding.
• Oversee and coordinate payroll systems, providers and processes.
• Ensure compliance with local employment laws and regulations.
• Make sure that effective controls and people policies aligned with Proton's goals are in place to meet auditable processes as required.
• Manage HR projects and initiatives as defined.

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of experience in HR operations or people business partnering, including experience in people management (3+ direct reports ideally) or in people mentoring, with a portfolio including payroll responsibilities (ideal in international, fast-paced tech environments).
• Good knowledge of payroll practices with a multi-country scope of responsibility.
• Comfort with numbers and statistics, along with excellent analytical skills and an eye for detail.
• Proven experience in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, IFS at a minimum).
• Conflict resolution and negotiation skills with the ability to manage employee relations issues.
• Critical thinking is a must.
• A strong sense of confidentiality.
• English as a must, with a second language (ideally French, Spanish or German) as a plus.
• Willingness to learn, roll up your sleeves, raise your hand, help to deliver and strive for excellence.

What we offer

• Office First: Collaboration is easier and more effective in person, which is why we have offices in Geneva, Zurich, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, London, Vilnius, Skopje, and Taipei. You can also enjoy working from home up to 30% of the time, while enjoying great company during our three core days in the office.
• Technology: We provide all the devices and software you need to excel in your role, ensuring you have the best tools at your disposal to achieve your goals.
• Food: Lunch and snacks are provided by Proton every day at our offices.
• Transport: We will always support our employees with transport costs through subsidizing public transport, bike allowances, or parking spaces based on your office location.
• Stock Options: At Proton, we are all owners of the company and you can choose to get stock options when you join us.
• Flexible Working: You can define your own working hours as long as it works with team meetings.
• Learning and Development: We are committed to your professional growth. Proton offers various learning opportunities, including training programs, conferences and events, and continual learning.
• Employee Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance plans, competitive retirement savings options, generous vacation and leave policies, and wellness programs.
• Work that Matters: Proton is a community-first organization, started with the support of a crowdfunding campaign and built with community input.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or socio-economic background, feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue, and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected.

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate, or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG, your information is stored in Greenhouse, in accordance with their Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position. We also retain this information for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills.