EMEA Payroll Lead: Regional Excellence & Compliance

CSS; Bracknell; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

CSS is seeking an experienced Payroll Lead Administrator, EMEA, to oversee regional payroll operations within the Global Payroll COE. You will drive compliant, timely payroll processing across multiple countries and coordinate with HR, Finance, and legal teams to ensure accurate payroll outcomes and strong controls.

The role requires deep knowledge of EMEA regulations, audit readiness, and the ability to lead regional initiatives, including system integrations and process improvements, in a

Qualifications

• 8+ years progressive payroll experience across multiple countries.
• Experience leading payroll operations in large, multi-country organizations, preferably in EMEA.
• Strong knowledge of EMEA payroll laws, tax, social security, and country-specific practices.
• Experience with payroll systems such as ADP Celergo or similar platforms.
• Proven ability to manage audits, controls, and vendor governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead EMEA payroll operations as part of the Global Payroll COE team, ensuring regional alignment with global strategy and governance.
• Oversee accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across countries in scope.
• Translate COE policies into regional execution including compliance activities.
• Identify regional improvement opportunities and drive automation and standardization.
• Manage regional payroll vendor relationships and monitor performance.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, Legal, Tax, Benefits, and regional leaders to support systems, data quality, and processes.
• Support audit readiness by maintaining regional control evidence and timely responses to requests.
• Lead payroll service delivery with clear communication across languages and time zones.

Skills

EMEA payroll expertise

Cross-country leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

Vendor governance

ADP Celergo

Tools

ADP Celergo

Job description

CSS is seeking an experienced Payroll Lead Administrator, EMEA, to oversee regional payroll operations within the Global Payroll COE. You will drive compliant, timely payroll processing across multiple countries and coordinate with HR, Finance, and legal teams to ensure accurate payroll outcomes and strong controls.

The role requires deep knowledge of EMEA regulations, audit readiness, and the ability to lead regional initiatives, including system integrations and process improvements, in a