Payroll Consultant

SAP IT Business Systeme; Barcelona; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

SAP is seeking a Payroll Consultant to coordinate local payroll operations across EMEA, acting as the main contact for external payroll vendors and ensuring accurate gross and net pay. You will maintain records, verify data, and support audits and tax activities within a global governance framework.

Join a diverse, international team, work with Local HR Services, finance, and compliance, and contribute to scalable payroll standards across multiple markets in the region.

Qualifications

• Experience in payroll processing and data verification, preferably in a service-focused setting.
• Knowledge of tax and regulatory requirements for multiple countries in EMEA.
• Ability to work with virtual, international teams and handle confidential information.
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills are essential for quality payroll delivery.
• Independence and confidence in managing payroll tasks with growing scope.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate local payroll operations in assigned EMEA countries where payroll is outsourced.
• Serve as the single point of contact for external payroll vendors within scope.
• Calculate gross and net pay and maintain/payroll records.
• Perform data verifications and support payroll audits and tax activities.
• Collaborate with Local HR Services, finance, and compliance to address payroll issues.
• Help define, set, and monitor global payroll standards and quality controls.

Skills

Payroll processing

Data verification

Compliance administration

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Virtual collaboration

Job description

At SAP, you'll belong to a diverse, international community that learns fast, shares openly, and celebrates impact. You'll have access to global peers, modern tools, and development pathways-so your ideas travel and your career grows. You'll join communities of practice, share knowledge, and gain exposure across regions and products.

Job Description

What you'll bring

You bring hands‑on experience in payroll processing, data verification, and compliance administration, ideally gained in a service‑oriented environment. As a Payroll Consultant coordinating local payroll operations in assigned EMEA countries, you will need a solid knowledge of payroll systems. You should also know the specific tax and regulatory requirements for each country. It is essential to manage payroll tasks with growing independence and confidence. Solid analytical and interpersonal skills are essential, as is the ability to work successfully with virtual, international teams. This role involves the reliable handling of confidential information, and a sharp eye for detail is non‑negotiable.

Your technical strengths span operational auditing, payroll policies and processes, tax compliance, payroll reporting, and payroll tax — the core capabilities that underpin quality payroll delivery at scale.

What you'll build

You will take ownership of coordinating and supporting local payroll operations in assigned EMEA countries where payroll has been outsourced, serving as the single point of contact for external payroll vendors within your scope. Calculating gross and net pay is a key part of the role. You will maintain and reconcile payroll records. It is also important to perform data verifications. You will support compliance monitoring and help with payroll audits and tax activities. You will work closely with Local HR Services, finance, and compliance stakeholders to address payroll issues and ensure reliable outcomes across the region.

Beyond day‑to‑day operations, you will play an active role in facilitating the enhancement of globally defined payroll standards and processes. Through coordination with local payroll experts, you will define, set, and monitor quality standards to ensure they are consistently met. Your key responsibilities include:

• You will set up and maintain payroll controls. You will create documentation procedures and governance frameworks. These will help ensure operational integrity for your EMEA country scope.
• You will regularly review operational tasks and assumptions. You will identify discrepancies and patterns that indicate process inefficiencies.
• Ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations, guidelines, and internal governance standards, and contributing to payroll audit and tax obligation reporting.
• You will start discussions to improve processes. You will also work with important people across the organization.
• Handling a wide range of employee and stakeholder payroll inquiries correctly, and contributing to internal control activities with a clear knowledge of why they matter.

Where you belong

You will deliver real payroll outcomes here — not just support others who do. The pay runs you process, the records you reconcile, and the compliance checks you complete feed directly into employee experience and the organisation's regulatory standing across multiple EMEA markets. You will take on a significant responsibility in this role. You will coordinate between external vendors, local HR teams, and global process frameworks. Your work will impact the quality and consistency of payroll delivery for the entire region.

You will regularly work with senior payroll colleagues. This will help you improve your judgment on complex calculations, tax issues, and compliance concerns. You will be alongside people who have handled these situations before. If you have a solid payroll foundation and want to grow toward self‑directed ownership of country‑level payroll processing, compliance, and quality standards within a global organisation, this is where that path begins.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Our company does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non‑merit factor.

Additional Information

About SAP

With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improves people’s lives.

As a leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business‑critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience.

We win with inclusion

SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well‑being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone, regardless of background, feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities.

For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy and childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements.

Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor.

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