Germany Payroll Specialist

Overview

The organization is seeking a Germany Payroll Specialist responsible for the accurate, compliant, and timely delivery of German payroll for an in-house client portfolio. This role is based in Romania within RDC Central and will help build dedicated Germany payroll capability within an EMEA regional delivery model, establishing resilient coverage, repeatable processes, and scalable support close to the European client base.

This is a hands-on specialist position requiring strong practical knowledge of German payroll, including gross-to-net processing, social security and tax requirements, statutory reporting, employee lifecycle changes, payroll controls, and year-end activities.

Responsibilities

Germany Payroll Processing

• Own end-to-end processing of German payrolls for a portfolio of clients, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and on-time delivery each cycle.
• Process and validate payroll inputs, including joiners, leavers, salary changes, variable pay, overtime, bonuses, absences, benefits, deductions, and corrections.
• Apply German payroll tax and social security requirements accurately, including employee and employer contributions, statutory deductions, and applicable payroll treatments.
• Coordinate payroll declarations, statutory submissions, and payment outputs with internal teams and authorised local partners within agreed deadlines.
• Process and reconcile payroll journals, ensuring payroll outputs align with client finance requirements.
• Validate statutory benefits, leave-related payroll treatments, severance-related items, and other country-specific calculations; escalate complex cases when required.
• Produce and distribute payslips, annual employee payroll statements, and other required payroll documentation accurately and on time.
• Complete payroll year-end activities, reconciliations, reporting, and audit preparation for assigned German payrolls.

Compliance & Regulatory Adherence

• Maintain current knowledge of German payroll legislation, tax and social security requirements, collective agreement considerations, and employment-related payroll changes; proactively flag impacts to relevant EMEA functions.
• Ensure German payrolls are processed in line with applicable statutory requirements, authorised guidance, and internal compliance standards.
• Monitor and apply relevant legislative, regulatory, and statutory rate changes affecting assigned payrolls.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready payroll records for all assigned clients, ensuring documentation meets regulatory and internal governance standards.
• Support internal and external audits by providing accurate payroll data, evidence of controls, and clear explanations of processing decisions.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary payroll contact for designated Germany payroll clients, managing day-to-day queries with professionalism and accuracy.
• Communicate proactively with clients on processing timelines, legislative changes, and payroll actions required from their side.
• Liaise with client HR and finance teams to collect and validate payroll inputs, resolve discrepancies, and ensure clean data ahead of processing.
• Escalate complex client queries, compliance risks, or payroll errors to the relevant EMEA functions and Germany subject-matter experts in a timely and structured manner.
• Support client onboarding, parallel runs, and go-live activities for new German payrolls, ensuring configurations, calendars, and controls are set up correctly.

Data Quality & Process

• Perform pre- and post-payroll data-quality checks to identify and resolve discrepancies before outputs are delivered to clients.
• Maintain and update Germany payroll SOPs, run guides, calendars, checklists, and process documentation to reflect current requirements and internal operating standards.
• Identify manual inefficiencies in Germany payroll processes and contribute ideas for automation, tooling improvements, and standardisation within RDC Central.
• Support system changes or new payroll tools affecting Germany payroll delivery; act as a Germany payroll technical point of contact for testing and validation.
• Contribute to RDC Central and the broader EMEA payroll operations team by sharing Germany payroll knowledge, supporting cross-training, and providing documented backup coverage.

Requirements

• 3+ years of hands-on Germany payroll processing experience, with strong working knowledge of end-to-end payroll calculations, controls, statutory requirements, and payroll reporting.
• Strong understanding of German payroll tax and social security requirements, employee lifecycle processing, statutory submissions, and payroll reconciliations.
• Experience applying country-specific payroll rules and working with local advisers or authorised partners on complex payroll matters.
• Comfortable working remotely and independently, managing multiple client payrolls simultaneously to strict deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail with a structured, methodical approach to payroll processing, controls, and data validation.
• Experience using German payroll software, bureau platforms, or equivalent in-house payroll systems.
• Professional working proficiency in German and English, with the ability to explain payroll matters clearly to clients and non-payroll stakeholders.
• Proficiency in payroll software and Microsoft Excel; experience with cloud-based payroll or HRIS platforms is advantageous.
• Comfortable working with AI-assisted tools and open to continuous learning as RDC Central and the payroll function evolve.

Preferred Qualifications

• A recognised German payroll, accounting, or HR qualification, or equivalent relevant professional certification.
• Experience working in a payroll bureau, outsourced payroll, EOR, shared-services, or global payroll environment.
• Experience with German payroll applications, local statutory portals, or equivalent country payroll platforms; previous experience with DATEV payroll software is desirable.
• Experience supporting payroll audits, statutory reviews, or compliance assessments in Germany.
• Experience supporting payroll implementations, transitions, or knowledge transfer into a regional delivery centre.
• Knowledge of GDPR and data-protection obligations in a payroll-processing context.

Location

• Romania (based within RDC Central)

Compensation & Benefits

• Not specified in the provided job description.