Senior International Payroll & Process Automation Lead

Workatbackbase; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Workatbackbase seeks a Senior Payroll Specialist to own payroll across the Netherlands, UK, and Spain, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, compliance and data integrity. You will advise employees, HR, and Finance while navigating complex legislation and collaborating with vendors.

You’ll drive automation, simplify processes, and scale payroll operations as the company grows internationally, taking on strategic responsibilities and managing risk with a proactive mindset.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in payroll, ideally in a senior payroll specialist, payroll officer, or similar role.
• PDL (Praktijkdiploma Loonadministratie) or equivalent relevant payroll qualification.
• Strong knowledge and hands-on experience with Dutch + UK payroll legislation, regulations, and institutions.
• Experience working with Spanish payroll is highly desirable.
• Experience working in an international, multi-country HR environment.
• Native-level Dutch and fluent English, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Own and oversee payroll activities for the Netherlands, UK, and Spain, ensuring payroll is accurate, timely, compliant, and well controlled.
• Act as a subject-matter expert on payroll legislation, regulations, authorities, and best practices across your countries.
• Ensure compliance with all statutory reporting, year-end processes, tax requirements, and payroll obligations.
• Identify, assess, and proactively manage payroll risks, escalating material issues where appropriate.
• Maintain accurate employee records and ensure payroll, compensation, benefits, and tax data is complete and up to date.
• Provide clear, practical advice on payroll, tax, benefits, and regulatory matters.
• Partner closely with Finance and HR to ensure employee data flows accurately between systems and payroll.
• Translate complex payroll requirements into clear guidance that managers and employees can understand and act on.
• Partner with our vendors in each location to ensure accurate payroll runs.
• Challenge the status quo. Continuously review payroll processes, controls, and ways of working to identify opportunities to simplify and improve.
• Identify opportunities to eliminate manual work through automation, integrations, AI, better use of existing systems, or improved process design.
• Develop and implement scalable payroll processes, policies, controls, and documentation.
• Help build payroll operations that can scale as Backbase grows internationally.
• Proactively manage the payroll ticket pipeline, incoming requests, and escalations, ensuring issues are resolved efficiently and with appropriate urgency.
• Take ownership of complex or sensitive payroll cases and drive them to resolution.
• Maintain high-quality payroll documentation, including policies, templates, process documentation, employee guidance, and Confluence content.

Skills

Multinational payroll

Education

PDL (Praktijkdiploma Loonadministratie)

Job description

Workatbackbase seeks a Senior Payroll Specialist to own payroll across the Netherlands, UK, and Spain, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, compliance and data integrity. You will advise employees, HR, and Finance while navigating complex legislation and collaborating with vendors.

You’ll drive automation, simplify processes, and scale payroll operations as the company grows internationally, taking on strategic responsibilities and managing risk with a proactive mindset.