Compensation, Benefit & Payroll Lead

Arion Retail Group; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Arion Retail Group is seeking a Compensation, Benefits & Payroll Lead Europe to oversee payroll, compensation and benefits across multiple European markets. This hands-on leader will manage payroll coordination, vendor relations and analytics, while shaping the future C&B function for rapid growth.

You will operate across Europe, collaborating with Retail, Finance and HR stakeholders, and will be based in Amsterdam with a two-days-per-week remote option.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in Compensation & Benefits, Payroll or Total Rewards.
• Proven experience managing multi-country payroll operations across Europe, in retail.
• Strong understanding of payroll processes, labour legislation, taxation and social security frameworks.
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers and multiple external partners.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with payroll and workforce data.
• Experience in retail, hospitality, consumer goods or other fast-paced multi-site environments is highly valued.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Fluent English is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate outsourced payroll operations across multiple European countries.
• Partner closely with local payroll providers, ensuring accuracy, compliance and service excellence.
• Manage the end-to-end payroll cycle, coordinating data collection, validation and approvals with local HR, retail and finance teams.
• Ensure timely and accurate administration of employee benefits across all markets.
• Drive payroll governance, process improvement and operational efficiency.
• Develop and evolve compensation and benefits frameworks that support business growth while remaining locally relevant.
• Lead annual salary review, merit increase and bonus processes.
• Conduct market benchmarking and provide recommendations on compensation positioning.
• Support the design and harmonization of benefit programs across Europe.
• Provide guidance on job grading, compensation structures and organizational growth.
• Monitor payroll, tax, labour law and social security developments across European markets.
• Ensure compliance with local legislation, collective agreements and internal policies.
• Partner with external advisors and payroll providers to proactively mitigate risks.
• Support internal and external audits related to payroll and compensation matters.
• Own payroll reporting, labour cost analysis and workforce metrics.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and headcount planning processes.
• Deliver meaningful insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Partner closely with HR, Retail Operations and Finance to support business decisions through data.
• Establish scalable processes, controls and governance frameworks.
• Identify opportunities for automation and operational excellence.
• Contribute to the future design and growth of the C&B function as the business continues to expand across Europe.
• Help shape the roadmap that will support future team growth and capability building.

Skills

Multi-country payroll

Stakeholder management

Data analytics

English fluency

Job description

Arion Retail Group is a leader in international retail, developing a large portfolio of international, iconic brands across 14 European countries from their headquarters in Amsterdam.

As we continue our rapid expansion across Europe, we are building the foundations that will support the next stage of our growth.

We are now looking for a Compensation, Benefits & Payroll Lead Europe to lead and evolve our payroll, compensation and benefits function across the region.

This role is best suited to someone who have worked with premium retail, fashion and/or fast-growing international retail operators, or scale-up environment, rather than a highly centralized corporate structure where payroll and compensation activities are managed by large specialist teams.

About The Role

We are looking for someone who enjoys creating and scaling functions, not simply managing them.

While this role owns the long‑term Compensation & Benefits strategy for Europe, it is also responsible for the day‑to‑day operational delivery.

During our current growth phase, you will personally manage payroll coordination, vendor relationships, reporting, compensation reviews and employee lifecycle administration across multiple countries.

This is not a role with a large C&B team already in place.

You will be a solo player the first 12 months.

You should enjoy being hands‑on, comfortable working directly in payroll files and reports, and energized by building processes, structure and best practices from the ground up.

As the business continues to grow, you will play a key role in defining the future organization and capabilities of the function.

What will make you successful:

• You have managed multi-country payroll and compensation processes yourself, not only through teams.
• You are comfortable rolling up your sleeves and operating at both strategic and detailed levels.
• You enjoy being close to the business and partnering directly with retail, finance and HR stakeholders.
• You thrive in fast-growing organizations where priorities evolve quickly.
• You are looking for a role where you can build, shape and scale a function, rather than inherit a fully established structure.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Payroll & Benefits Operations

• Lead and coordinate outsourced payroll operations across multiple European countries.
• Partner closely with local payroll providers, ensuring accuracy, compliance and service excellence.
• Manage the end-to-end payroll cycle, coordinating data collection, validation and approvals with local HR, retail and finance teams.
• Ensure timely and accurate administration of employee benefits across all markets.
• Drive payroll governance, process improvement and operational efficiency.

Compensation & Benefits Strategy

• Develop and evolve compensation and benefits frameworks that support business growth while remaining locally relevant.
• Lead annual salary review, merit increase and bonus processes.
• Conduct market benchmarking and provide recommendations on compensation positioning.
• Support the design and harmonization of benefit programs across Europe.
• Provide guidance on job grading, compensation structures and organizational growth.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Monitor payroll, tax, labour law and social security developments across European markets.
• Ensure compliance with local legislation, collective agreements and internal policies.
• Partner with external advisors and payroll providers to proactively mitigate risks.
• Support internal and external audits related to payroll and compensation matters.

Analytics & Business Partnership

• Own payroll reporting, labour cost analysis and workforce metrics.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and headcount planning processes.
• Deliver meaningful insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Partner closely with HR, Retail Operations and Finance to support business decisions through data.

Building for Scale

• Establish scalable processes, controls and governance frameworks.
• Identify opportunities for automation and operational excellence.
• Contribute to the future design and growth of the C&B function as the business continues to expand across Europe.
• Help shape the roadmap that will support future team growth and capability building.

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years of experience in Compensation & Benefits, Payroll or Total Rewards.
• Proven experience managing multi-country payroll operations across Europe, in retail.
• Strong understanding of payroll processes, labour legislation, taxation and social security frameworks.
• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers and multiple external partners.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with payroll and workforce data.
• Experience in retail, hospitality, consumer goods or other fast-paced multi-site environments is highly valued.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Fluent English is required.

Others

This role is on site with 2 days/remote option/week, based in Amsterdam, with punctual travelling. A valid working VISA for The Netherlands or Schengen is mandatory.