Europe Compensation & Payroll Lead — Scale & Build

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 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.