Senior Payroll Specialist - Middle East/GCC

Mercans; India; A distancia; INR 1.200.000 - 1.800.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Mercans is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to lead end-to-end payroll outsourcing for global clients in a remote-first setup. The role requires deep multi-country payroll knowledge, tax compliance, and the ability to work independently across time zones.

You will own client onboarding, transition from implementation, ongoing payroll accuracy, and continuous process optimization with automation. Strong analytical and regulatory expertise are essential for success.

Formación

• Global payroll processing across multiple countries and complex regulations.
• Experience in SLA tracking, support ticket management, and service reporting.
• Experience in reviewing client artifacts, onboarding, and Hypercare transitions.
• Ability to ensure statutory filings and regulatory compliance across countries.

Responsabilidades

• Process end-to-end payroll for multiple countries with tax and regulatory compliance.
• Manage client onboarding, hypercare, and smooth transition to steady-state operations.
• Ensure accurate data, salary calendars, and timely payroll releases.
• Drive process automation and optimization to reduce manual work and errors.
• Monitor SLAs, tickets, and provide regular performance reports.
• Collaborate with compliance teams on regulatory changes and ensure documentation.

Conocimientos

Global payroll expertise

SLA management

Client onboarding

Statutory compliance

Automation

Service scope management

Backup resource planning

Documentation & change management

Client success management

Analytical skills

Regulatory knowledge

Educación

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance/HR

Professional certifications (CPP/CIPP/IPASS)

Descripción del empleo

The Senior Payroll Specialist plays a critical role in delivering end-to-end payroll outsourcing solutions for global clients. This role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing while serving as the primary point of contact (POC) for both clients and internal teams.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in multi-country payroll operations, strong knowledge of international payroll regulations, and the ability to manage complex payroll environments. This position requires a detail-oriented, client-focused professional who thrives in a fast-paced, remote-first setting. This will be handled by the role holder, and the ability to work independently in a remote setting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Global Payroll Processing:
• Accurately process payroll across multiple countries, ensuring compliance with local labor laws and tax regulations.
• Manage end-to-end payroll operations, including employee data validation, earnings, deductions, and tax calculations.
• Ensure strict adherence to payroll calendars and turnaround time (TAT) commitments.
• Follow automated system-driven processes to maintain accuracy and eliminate manual errors.
• Verify and reconcile Gross-to-Net (G2N), Bank File, and General Ledger (GL) before payroll release.
• Handle year-end payroll processing, including tax filings, statutory reporting, and compliance audits.
• Statutory Compliance & Regulatory Filings
• Ensure that all statutory filings are completed accurately and on time, adhering to country-specific tax and labor regulations.
• Utilize automated processes to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and compliance in statutory reporting.
• Ensure on-time submission of payroll taxes, social security contributions, and other statutory payments.
• Collaborate with compliance teams to stay updated on regulatory changes and implement necessary adjustments.
• Regularly audit statutory filing processes to identify gaps and implement improvements to enhance compliance efficiency.
• Client Success & Service Scope Management
• Ensure that services delivered and payroll processing activities align with the contractual scope.
• Monitor and prevent scope creep by clearly defining and managing client expectations.
• Ensure no misalignment between scope of services and client expectations, escalating potential gaps as necessary.
• Conduct regular scope reviews with clients to reinforce contractual agreements and avoid unauthorized service extensions.
• Work closely with Account Management and Implementation Teams to validate changes to client requirements and ensure proper documentation.
• Provide transparent communication to clients about services included in the agreement and any additional services that require contractual modifications.
• Client Onboarding & Transition from Implementation
• Accept new clients from the Implementation Team following the successful completion of Hypercare.
• Conduct a comprehensive review of all client-related artifacts, including process documentation, system configurations, and service agreements.
• Confirm the completeness and accuracy of all client payroll setup elements before transitioning into regular operations.
• Complete the handover checklist to ensure a smooth transition from implementation to steady-state operations.
• Perform end-to-end payroll testing to validate the accuracy of system configurations, payroll calculations, and statutory compliance settings.
• Identify and address any discrepancies, missing information, or required adjustments before assuming full payroll responsibility.
• Collaborate with the Implementation Team and Client Success Team to ensure a seamless transition and alignment on expectations.
• Backup Resource Management & Business Continuity
• Ensure that backup resources are trained and available to support clients during the absence of the primary consultant.
• Maintain comprehensive process documentation to enable seamless transition for backup resources when required.
• Develop and implement a knowledge transfer plan to ensure backup personnel are familiar with client-specific payroll processes.
• Coordinate with internal teams to assign and prepare alternate resources to support payroll operations without service disruption.
• Regularly test and review backup support processes to ensure effectiveness and minimize business continuity risks.
• Process Documentation & Change Management
• Maintain and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in compliance with company documentation requirements.
• Ensure proper documentation of client-specific payroll processes, including wage type catalogs and data dictionaries.
• Ensure all configuration changes to payroll systems follow the company’s change management procedures.
• Document all change requests (CRs) and ensure proper approval and implementation tracking.
• Regularly review and audit payroll documentation to identify gaps, ensure accuracy, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Process Automation & Optimization
• Identify manual processes and inefficiencies within payroll operations and elevate them to management for review.
• Proactively open support tickets to request automation of repetitive manual tasks and elimination of inefficiencies.
• Work closely with IT and process improvement teams to drive workflow automation and system enhancements.
• Monitor the effectiveness of automation initiatives and recommend further improvements where necessary.
• Continuously assess payroll workflows to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and compliance through process optimization.
• Track and monitor customer support tickets to ensure timely resolution within established SLAs.
• Escalate and follow up on pending or unresolved tickets to prevent delays in payroll operations.
• Prepare monthly SLA performance reports, analyzing response times, resolution times, and compliance with service agreements.
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) when SLAs are not met, identifying recurring issues and recommending corrective actions.
• Work closely with internal support teams to ensure continuous service improvement and alignment with SLA commitments.
• Proactively communicate with clients regarding ticket status, expected resolution timelines, and any escalations.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Global Payroll Expertise: Strong understanding of multi-country payroll processing, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.
• SLA & Customer Support Management: Experience in tracking customer tickets, SLA reporting, and root cause analysis.
• Client Onboarding & Hypercare Transition: Experience in reviewing client artifacts, completing handover checklists, and testing system configuration accuracy.
• Statutory Compliance & Automation: Experience in ensuring statutory filings are completed accurately and on time using automated processes.
• Process Automation & Optimization: Ability to identify inefficiencies, propose solutions, and work with IT teams to drive automation.
• Service Scope & Expectation Management: Experience in ensuring service delivery aligns with contractual agreements and preventing scope creep.
• Backup Resource & Business Continuity Planning: Experience in ensuring alternate resources are trained and available to support payroll operations.
• Process Documentation & Change Management: Experience in maintaining SOPs, wage type catalogs, and payroll configuration documentation.
• Client Success Management: Expertise in SLA management, client governance, and service delivery excellence.
• Analytical Skills: Capability to analyze payroll metrics, identify discrepancies, and drive improvements.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Up-to-date knowledge of labor laws, statutory contributions, and social security regulations across multiple countries.

Experience and Education:

• 7+ years of experience in global payroll processing, outsourced payroll services, or payroll consulting.
• Experience in SLA tracking, support ticket management, and service reporting is highly desirable.
• Strong background in multi-country payroll management with a deep understanding of global payroll regulations.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Professional certifications (e.g., Global Payroll Certification, CPP, CIPP, or IPASS) are highly preferred.