Payroll Lead - EMEA

Dojo; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Dojo is hiring a Payroll Manager to own the UK payroll end-to-end while also managing European payroll operations through external partners. You will oversee pensions, benefits, and global reporting, mentoring the UK Payroll Specialist and coordinating with Finance and Tax to ensure compliant payroll sign-offs.

You will work in a data-driven, process-focused environment with an office-first culture requiring 4+ days in the London area. This role supports Dojo's growing footprint across Europe.

Qualifications

• Solid experience running end-to-end UK payroll and managing international payroll across European markets via partner networks.
• Experience with pensions/benefits administration and monthly reporting.

Responsibilities

• UK Payroll Ownership: Deliver end-to-end UK payroll in-house with accuracy and statutory filings.
• Oversee outsourced European payroll across Spain, Italy, France, and Ireland with local partners.
• Administer UK pensions and benefits, and manage Benefits in Kind and global reporting.
• Mentor the UK Payroll Specialist and support People Operations on complex queries.
• Collaborate with Finance and Tax for payroll sign-offs, audits and compliance.
• Regularly audit data and refine payroll workflows to scale with growth.

Skills

UK payroll

International payroll

Data analysis

Tech literacy

Confidentiality

Stakeholder comms

Tools

Workday

Notion

AI tools

Job description

We’re reinventing payments. In less than four years, Dojo disrupted the market to become the largest and most loved acquirer in the UK. Our payments infrastructure, purpose-built for in-person commerce, is game changing.

Now, over 150,000 customers across four countries choose to transact billions with us every year. But we’re just getting started.

Our people are the driving force behind our success. They are our greatest investment and our ultimate competitive advantage. We hire exceptional people and give them the autonomy, trust, and ownership to thrive. The results take care of themselves.

The role

At Dojo, we are passionate about empowering businesses with modern payment solutions—and our People team is essential to supporting that mission. As Payroll Manager, you will take ownership of the compensation engine room, ensuring our team is paid accurately, compliantly, and on time.

In this role, you will lead our UK payroll in-house while managing our European payroll operations across Spain, Italy, France, and Ireland with external partners. We are looking for a data-driven problem solver who thrives on building scalable workflows, driving operational excellence, and delivering a seamless payroll experience across our growing global footprint.

What You Will Do...

• UK Payroll Ownership: Manage and deliver the end-to-end UK payroll in-house with total accuracy, including all deductions, statutory filings, and disbursements.
• International Operations: Oversee outsourced European payroll across Spain, Italy, France, and Ireland, collaborating with local partners and Country People Leads.
• Pensions & Benefits: Administer UK pensions from enrolment to monthly submissions, and manage benefit schemes, Benefits in Kind, and global benefit reporting.
• Team Leadership & Support: Mentor the UK Payroll Specialist, partner with People Operations, and serve as the main point of contact for complex employee queries.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Finance and Tax teams on payroll sign-offs, settlements, audits, and statutory compliance.
• Process Evolution & Audit: Perform regular data audits and continuously refine payroll workflows to ensure scalability and operational excellence as Dojo expands.

What You Will Bring...

• Payroll Expertise: Solid experience running end-to-end UK payroll and managing international payroll across European markets (such as Spain and Italy) via partner networks.
• Data-Driven Problem-Solving: An analytical approach to investigating discrepancies, auditing records, and deriving actionable insights to improve payroll systems.
• Tech Literacy: Strong proficiency with payroll platforms and spreadsheets, with an aptitude for adopting tools like Workday, Notion, and AI tools.
• Precision & Confidentiality: Exceptional attention to detail with an uncompromising commitment to managing sensitive compensation data with discretion.
• Collaborative Communication: Clear, empathetic communication skills, with the ability to explain complex payroll concepts to diverse stakeholders.
• Self-Directed Ownership: High accountability and initiative, capable of prioritizing workload independently while maintaining operational excellence.

Dojo home and away

We believe our best work happens when we collaborate in-person. These “together days” foster communication, drive innovation and spark our brightest ideas.

That's why we have an office-first culture. This means working from the office 4+ days per week.

With offices across Europe, we know a thing or two about staying dynamic. Need deep focus? Head to a quiet zone. Big ideas? Collaboration spaces have you covered. Just here for a catch-up? Our social hubs make it easy. Do work that counts, in spaces made for you.

Question: what’s curious, relentless, and customer obsessed?

If you’re keen to know the answer, you’re a third of the way to meeting our Dojo values.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion at Dojo

From local bakeries to well-known eateries, Dojo payments serve over 150,000 places across the UK.

And something that’s fundamental to creating relevant, innovative products at Dojo is to build teams to reflect the diversity of the businesses we serve.

Our drive to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion is closely linked to helping employees thrive and innovating for better customer experiences.

If you care about your work, you’re curious, and you think customer-first, you have a place at Dojo.

To make sure you’re the best you can be throughout the recruitment process, let us know if you need any extra adjustments to help you thrive.