Payroll Specialist (m/f/d)

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong>Allow us to introduce ourselves</strong></p> <p>Hello there! We’re Appinio, a global market research company that combines an AI-powered insights platform with expert consultancy. On a mission to make the world a little more fact-based, we help companies understand how consumers think and make smarter decisions.</p> <p>We started out in Hamburg back in 2014, but we’re now humbled to call the world our playground, with over <strong>260 employees</strong> spread across <strong>13 countries </strong>(we’re remote-first), 2600+ international clients, delivering research from <strong data-stringify-type="bold">+190 markets,</strong> globally.</p> <p>Want to be a part of the Appinio movement? <strong>🚀</strong></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Here at Appinio, we value <strong>transparency</strong> <strong>in our recruitment process</strong>, and we've created a blog to share what to expect during each step of our journey together:</span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><em data-stringify-type="italic">&nbsp;</em></span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://www.appinio.com/en/blog/life-at-appinio/appinio-recruitment-process" target="_blank" data-stringify-link="https://www.appinio.com/en/blog/life-at-appinio/appinio-recruitment-process" data-sk="tooltip_parent">here</a></span></strong></p></div><div class="role"> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454830"> <p><strong>Your mission as a Payroll Specialist</strong></p> <p>We are looking for a tech-savvy, and proactive<strong>&nbsp;Payroll Specialist (m/f/d) </strong>to join our People Team and ensure our global workforce is supported by a world-class payroll engine.</p> <p>As our Payroll Specialist, you'll turn the end-to-end (preparatory) payroll process across our international entities - adhering to local regulations and deadlines - into a seamless, "prime" experience for every Appinio team member. You'll build smarter, more scalable processes and systems to support continued successful growth.</p> <p><strong>A few words about the team</strong></p> <p>Our People Team operates with a product mindset. We value transparency, collaboration, and true partnership with our stakeholders. Rather than ticking off task lists, we focus on understanding customer needs, driving adoption, and delivering meaningful outcomes.<br>We are trusted partners to the business, advocates for our employees, and pragmatic, business-savvy solution builders - always aiming to improve how people experience Appinio.</p> <p><strong>What you’ll be doing</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Global payroll ownership:</strong> Drive the preparatory payroll process for all international entities (Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, UK, and Netherlands), ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery</li> <li><strong>External partner management:</strong> Serve as the lead point of contact for external payroll providers, our EOR (Remote), and our PEO in the US, overseeing all payroll-related compliance and resolving statutory queries with precision</li> <li><strong>Employee support &amp; service:</strong> Act as the primary contact for payroll-related tickets, resolving employee inquiries with empathy, speed, and a high level of expertise</li> <li><strong>Systems optimization &amp; automation:</strong> Proactively identify inefficiencies to automate payroll workflows, reducing manual steps and enhancing the scalability of our global operations</li> <li><strong>Sales &amp; performance incentives:</strong> Partner closely with RevOps to ensure the accurate and timely calculation of commission structures and bonus payments</li> <li><strong>Collaboration with Finance:</strong> Support the Finance team with staff cost reporting, audits, and data-driven workforce planning</li> <li><strong>Grant &amp; subsidy support: </strong>Partner with Finance and Legal to support applications for international grants and subsidies (e.g., R&amp;D tax credits or local employment grants) by providing accurate personnel data, salary documentation, and compliance reporting</li> </ul> <p><strong>You will thrive in this role if</strong></p> <ul> <li>You are a&nbsp;<strong>payroll expert</strong>: You bring 3+ years of experience managing (preparatory) payroll for Germany</li> <li>You bring experience with managing (preparatory) payroll in France, and/or Spain, with a deep understanding of statutory requirements (experience with AT, UK, NL, US or PT is a plus)</li> <li>You have proven experience managing external payroll providers to ensure compliance; experience with <strong>EOR</strong> and <strong>PEO</strong> providers is a plus</li> <li>You are a&nbsp;<strong>process optimizer</strong>: You have a "product mindset" and a track record of identifying manual inefficiencies and implementing automated workflows between HRIS and Payroll systems</li> <li>You are&nbsp;<strong>data-driven</strong>: You possess a strong analytical mindset and are proficient in Excel/Google Sheets for complex data handling</li> <li>You are an&nbsp;<strong>empathetic communicator</strong>: You have the ability to explain complex tax and payroll issues to employees with patience, clarity, and a service-oriented mindset</li> <li>You <strong>live ownership</strong>: You thrive in fast-paced, scaling environments and take full responsibility for ensuring payroll remains transparent, compliant, and audit-ready</li> <li>You are professionally fluent in both <strong>English</strong> and <strong>German</strong> (written and verbal)</li> </ul> <p><strong>What’s in it for you?</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Flexibility</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> Policy</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> - Our flexibility policy means there is no hard cap on the number of vacation days you can take</span></li> <li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Temporary work from abroad - </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">If you're based in the EU, you can work outside your country of residence for up to 180 days per year</span></li> <li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">All the hardware you need and&nbsp;</span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">your own MacBook</span></strong></li> <li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">If you are located in Hamburg or Berlin, you'll get a&nbsp;</span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Deutschland ticket</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> or access to a mobility budget with the&nbsp;</span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">NAVIT app</span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> to get you to and from the office space</span></li> <li>Subsidised <strong>Urban Sports Club </strong>or <strong>ClassPass</strong> membership based on location</li> <li><span data-preserver-spaces="true">In case</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> you’re located in one of the cities where most of our fellow Appinioneers are (Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, London, Madrid, Barcelona, or New York), you can get access to our&nbsp;</span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Co-working spaces</span></strong></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Additional role details</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>This role will report directly to our Team Lead Talent Acquisition &amp; People Operations</li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Our interview process</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>Screening Call with a Talent Acquisition Partner</li> <li>Interview with our Team Lead Talent Acquisition &amp; People Operations</li> <li>Case Study Interview with Senior members of the People Team</li> <li>Reference Calls</li> <li>Executive Interview with C-Level</li> <li>Offer</li> </ul> </div> </div><div class="content-conclusion"><div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454846"> <div class="role"> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454830"> <p><strong>Kind reminder:</strong>&nbsp;Please ensure that your application is submitted in English.</p> <p><em data-stringify-type="italic">This post not only outlines our ideal candidate but also serves as an inspiration for what this role can evolve into. Even if you consider yourself an 80% fit but have a genuine passion for this position, we encourage you to apply. We're eager to hear from individuals who share our enthusiasm.</em></p> <p><em>Appinio is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.<br><br></em><strong>Please read our privacy policy <a href="https://www.appinio.com/en-gb/privacy">here</a>.</strong></p> </div> </div> <div class="ja-right"> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454850"> <div class="contact"> <div class="c3"> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454866"> <div> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454878"><strong>Learn more about us:</strong></div> </div> <div class="a1"><a href="https://appinio.com/" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://jobdata.prescreen.io/appinio/website-icon.svg">&nbsp;appinio.com&nbsp; &nbsp;</a><a href="https://de.linkedin.com/company/appinio-gmbh" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://jobdata.prescreen.io/appinio/linkedin-icon.svg">&nbsp;LinkedIn &nbsp;&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.xing.com/companies/appiniogmbh" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://jobdata.prescreen.io/appinio/xing-icon.svg">&nbsp;Xing&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.kununu.com/de/appinio" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://jobdata.prescreen.io/appinio/kununu-icon.svg">&nbsp;Kununu &nbsp;&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/appinio" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://jobdata.prescreen.io/appinio/instagram-icon.svg">&nbsp;Instagram</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454850"> <div class="offer"> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454854"> <div class="contact"> <div class="c3"> <div class="job-ad-editable job-ad-editable job-ad-editor" data-content="6454866">&nbsp;</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div>