Senior Payroll Accountant

activpayroll; Paris; On-site; EUR 48,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

activpayroll Ltd. is seeking a Senior Payroll Accountant to manage a dedicated French payroll portfolio from data collection through payroll completion, declarations, and post-payroll activities.

Based in Paris or Orléans, you will advise clients on payroll legislation while ensuring accurate, compliant service. Key duties include governance calls, monthly reports, up-to-date payroll manuals, calendars and checklists.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years experience in payroll in France
• Strong English language skills is highly recommended
• A passion and aptitude for numbers
• A keen eye on payroll external markets for tax and legislation changes
• Commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service
• High attention to detail and ability to identify discrepancies
• Proficiency with databases and payroll software, especially Excel
• Action-oriented and able to perform under pressure

Responsibilities

• Act as focal point for a varied payroll client portfolio, delivering excellent service
• Process end-to-end French payrolls with varying headcount and complexity
• Host governance calls with clients to track progress and identify improvements
• Prepare monthly governance reports
• Keep payroll manuals up-to-date with current processes
• Prepare payroll calendars and checklists; ensure checks are completed for each payroll
• Answer client queries and escalate complex issues as needed
• Deliver timely, accurate service and communicate status to clients and managers
• Ensure customers are kept informed of how their service is managed
• Communicate risks to service delivery quickly and clearly to clients and managers
• Maintain honesty and transparency in communications
• Be a strong team player supporting colleagues to maintain consistent service

Skills

Payroll experience in France

English proficiency

Numerical ability

Attention to detail

Microsoft Excel

Problem solving under pressure

Customer service orientation

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Senior Payroll Accountant

Department: Operations

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Paris, France

Reporting To: Payroll Team Lead

Description

Our payroll operations are at the heart of our business, delivering accurate, compliant, and timely payroll services to a diverse portfolio of clients. We are looking for a Senior Payroll Accountant to join our growing team, with the opportunity to be based in either Paris or Orléans.

In this role, you will take ownership of a dedicated customer portfolio, managing the payroll process from initial data collection through to payroll completion, social and fiscal declarations, and post-payroll activities. You will act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing expert guidance on payroll legislation, tax and social security obligations, while ensuring a seamless and best-in-class customer experience.

Working closely with clients and internal stakeholders, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality payroll services, maintaining compliance, and building strong, long-term customer relationships.

On a typical day, you'll be...

• Acting as the focal point for a varied portfolio of payroll clients, delivering consistently fantastic customer service
• Processing end-to-end French payrolls of various headcount and pay complexity
• Hosting and chairing regular governance calls with clients to track progress, review performance and identify opportunities for improvement
• Preparing monthly governance reports
• Ensuring that payroll manuals are relevant and updated regularly to reflect current processes
• Preparing payroll calendars and checklists, ensuring that checking sheets are completed for every payroll processed
• Answering queries from clients, partners and colleagues, troubleshooting and resolving where possible, or escalating more complex issues through our internal channels
• Delivering excellent customer service, responding quickly and effectively to all queries and ensuring that issues are resolved either directly or through the right escalation channels
• Making sure that customers are fully updated and never in any doubt as to how their service is being managed
• Making sure that any risks to service delivery are communicated quickly and realistically to the client and to the appropriate managers, and being innovative and agile in bringing solutions or mitigations to the table
• Being honest and authentic in communicating both positive and difficult conversations
• Being a brilliant team player, supporting colleagues across the team to ensure that customer service delivery is consistent across the department, providing help and guidance and ensuring no one is left behind

To be truly effective you will…

• 5-8 years experience in payroll in France, with a deep understanding of fiscal responsibilities
• Strong English language skills is highly recommended.
• A passion and aptitude for numbers, ideally gained from a role in a finance or payroll environment
• A keen eye on the external markets in payroll to ensure compliance with tax and legislation changes
• A genuine commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service
• An unusually high attention to detail, with the ability to spot errors or notice when things "just don’t look right" - and motivated to follow these through to resolution
• Really good with databases, systems and software packages, especially Microsoft Excel
• Being action-oriented, willing to step up and be counted under pressure and seize opportunities to make things work better for both customers and colleagues