Global Payroll Operations Partner

About Appinio

Appinio is a globally operating market research company that combines AI-driven insights with expert consultancy to enable better decision-making by understanding consumer behavior. Founded in Hamburg in 2014, the company now employs over 260 professionals across 13 countries, serving more than 2600 clients worldwide across 190+ markets with a remote-first culture.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Global Payroll Operations Partner to join our People Team and oversee the entire payroll process across multiple international entities. The ideal candidate will ensure compliant, timely payroll execution and work to optimize and automate payroll processes in line with our global growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end preparatory payroll process for countries including Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, UK, and Netherlands, ensuring accuracy and punctuality.
• Act as the main liaison for external payroll providers, Employer of Record (EOR), and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) partners in the US, ensuring compliance and resolving statutory payroll-related queries.
• Handle payroll-related employee inquiries through ticketing systems with empathy, expertise, and timely responses.
• Continuously identify payroll process inefficiencies and implement automation to improve scalability and reduce manual work.
• Collaborate with Revenue Operations to accurately calculate and distribute sales commissions and bonuses.
• Support Finance in staff cost reporting, audits, and data-driven workforce planning activities.
• Assist Finance and Legal teams by providing personnel data and documentation to support applications for international grants and subsidies such as R&D tax credits and local employment incentives.

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of 3 years experience managing preparatory payroll in Germany, with additional experience in France and/or Spain strongly preferred. Knowledge of payroll in Austria, UK, Netherlands, US, or Portugal is beneficial.
• Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with external payroll providers and familiarity with EOR and PEO arrangements.
• Strong focus on process improvement with a product mindset, including experience automating workflows between HRIS and payroll systems.
• Proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets for advanced data manipulation and analysis.
• Excellent communication skills to explain complex payroll and tax topics clearly and empathetically to employees.
• Ability to take ownership and thrive in a fast-paced scaling startup environment ensuring payroll transparency, compliance, and audit readiness.
• Fluency in English and German, both written and spoken.

Benefits and Perks

• Flexible vacation policy with no strict cap on leave days to accommodate life events, historically averaging 30 days taken.
• Option to work temporarily from abroad within the EU for up to 180 days annually.
• Provision of necessary hardware including a personal MacBook.
• For employees located in Hamburg or Berlin, a Deutschland ticket or mobility budget via NAVIT app for office commutes.
• Subsidized memberships to fitness programs such as Urban Sports Club or ClassPass based on location.
• Access to coworking spaces in key cities where many employees are based, including Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, London, Madrid, Barcelona, and New York.

Additional Information

• This position reports directly to the Team Lead of Talent Acquisition & People Operations.
• The interview process involves meetings with the Team Lead, a case study with senior People Team members, an executive interview with C-level staff, reference checks, and an offer stage.
• Applications must be submitted in English.
• Appinio is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.