Payroll Manager, EMEA - Krakow, Poland

AML RightSource; Kraków; On-site; PLN 178,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical healthcare

Remote work options

Group private insurance plan

MyBenefit Cafeteria including Multispo

Annual discretionary bonus

Job summary

AML RightSource seeks a Payroll Manager - EMEA to lead end-to-end payroll across multiple countries, ensuring accuracy and regulatory compliance. You will partner with HR, Finance, and Legal to manage vendors and drive process improvements in a fast-paced environment.

The role requires 7+ years in payroll (Poland exposure mandatory), strong English skills, and the ability to manage cross-country timelines. A discretionary annual bonus and comprehensive benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, HR, Business Admin or related field.
• 7+ years of payroll experience across multi-country EMEA; hands-on Poland payroll required.
• 2 years of people management or mentoring payroll professionals.
• Strong knowledge of EMEA payroll regulations, tax and labor law.
• Experience managing external payroll vendors and HRIS platforms.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end payroll processing for multiple EMEA countries.
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll including salaries, bonuses, and benefits.
• Review outputs from internal teams and external providers.
• Own payroll calendars, controls, and documentation.
• Ensure GDPR and data privacy compliance for payroll data.
• Manage vendor relationships and act as payroll point of contact for HR/Finance/Legal.
• Drive process improvements and automation across EMEA payroll.

Skills

English fluency

Polish language

Advanced Excel

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

People management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/HR/Business Administration

Tools

ADP

Workday

SAP

Job description

About the Position

The Payroll Manager - EMEA is responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery across multiple EMEA countries. This role oversees end-to-end payroll operations, manages external payroll vendors, ensures compliance with local labor and tax regulations, and partners closely with HR, Finance, and Legal teams. The ideal candidate brings a strong mix of operational payroll expertise, stakeholder management, and regional regulatory knowledge in a fast-paced, international environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Payroll Operations: Manage and oversee end-to-end payroll processing for multiple EMEA countries.
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll execution, including salaries, bonuses, commissions, benefits, and statutory payments.
• Review and approve payroll outputs from internal teams and external payroll providers.
• Own payroll calendars, controls, and documentation.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure full compliance with local labor laws, tax regulations, and statutory reporting requirements across all EMEA jurisdictions.
• Stay current on legislative changes and assess impact on payroll processes.
• Lead payroll audits and support internal and external audit requests.
• Ensure GDPR and data privacy compliance for employee payroll data.
• Vendor & Stakeholder Management: Manage relationships with third-party payroll vendors and local providers.
• Act as the primary payroll point of contact for HR, Finance, Legal, and local leadership.
• Resolve payroll escalations and complex payroll issues efficiently and professionally.
• Process Improvement & Systems: Drive continuous improvement, standardization, and automation of payroll processes across EMEA.
• Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, and integrations (e.g., HRIS, Finance systems).
• Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Reporting & Financial Partnership: Partner with Finance to support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end activities.
• Prepare payroll-related reports, reconciliations, accruals, and variance analysis.
• Contribute to budgeting, forecasting, and headcount cost analysis.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• 7+ years of payroll experience, with significant exposure to multi-country EMEA payroll (hands-on payroll experience in Poland is required; experience in Bulgaria, the UK, Austria, and Germany is preferred).
• 2 years of people management experience or mentorship of payroll professionals.
• Strong knowledge of EMEA payroll regulations, tax, and labor law requirements.
• Experience managing external payroll vendors.
• Proficiency with payroll systems and HRIS platforms (e.g., ADP, Workday, SAP, or similar).
• Advanced Excel and strong analytical skills.
• Fluent English required; additional European languages are a strong plus.

Competencies

• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong stakeholder and communication skills.
• Ability to manage complex timelines and multiple countries simultaneously.
• Problem-solving mindset and resilience under pressure.
• Strong ethics, discretion, and ownership mindset.
• Fluent in written and spoken Polish and English, other European language welcome.

Minimum salary: 17,500 PLN gross/month.

Additional components of our benefits package

• Comprehensive private medical healthcare.
• Remote work options subject to the type of position or project.
• The option to join a group private insurance plan (subject to a fee).
• MyBenefit Cafeteria including Multisport.
• Annual discretionary bonus, subject to both company performance and individual contribution.

AML RightSource is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

All the information concerning breaches of law during the recruitment process should be reported at [e-mail]. Upon request, you will be provided with Internal procedure for reporting and following up on breaches of law, adopted by the Company based on the Whistleblower Protection Act.

AML RightSource is the leading expert solutions provider of managed services and advisory, dedicated exclusively to financial crime compliance. As financial crime continues to evolve, we help organizations stay ahead through expert-led services and deep industry knowledge. Specializing in anti-money laundering, financial crime prevention, and third-party compliance, we deliver tailored solutions that enhance operational efficiency and reduce business risk. With a global presence and a team of more than 7,000 specialized, trained professionals, AML RightSource partners closely with clients to transform their compliance programs into strategic advantages. We empower organizations to strengthen compliance, protect their businesses, and confidently navigate an ever-changing financial crime landscape.