Head of Global Payroll

unybrands; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

unybrands is seeking a Head of Global Payroll to lead payroll operations for our international workforce. You will oversee US, Germany, UK, and China cycles with external partners, ensuring accuracy and compliance across regions.

The role requires deep regulatory knowledge, hands-on experience across multiple countries, and collaboration with HR, Finance, and vendors. You will drive automation, audit readiness, and scalable processes to support rapid growth.

Qualifications

• 6–8+ years of payroll management or accounting experience in an international/high-growth environment.
• 2+ years of hands-on global payroll across multiple countries
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field
• Knowledge of US federal/state/local payroll regs, payroll taxes, wage/hour requirements, year-end reporting
• Familiarity with US, German, UK, or China payroll preferred
• Experience with Rippling or other payroll systems is a plus
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills
• Fluent in English; German is a significant plus

Responsibilities

• Own payroll processing for US, Germany, UK, and China with external partners (ADP, Rippling, etc.)
• Audit payroll data including hires, terminations, promotions, transfers, compensation changes, timekeeping, commissions, bonuses, and deductions
• Oversee multi-state US payroll operations across weekly, bi-weekly, and semi-monthly cycles ensuring compliance
• Review and approve payroll results, reconciliations, funding reports, tax filings, and year-end reporting
• Maintain accurate payroll records and serve as primary contact for payroll inquiries
• Ensure compliance with payroll regulations across jurisdictions (US, UK, Germany, China)
• Process payroll accounting entries in NetSuite; GL reconciliations and month-end close
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, and vendors on benefits, system integrations, reporting
• Identify and implement process improvements, automation, dashboards, and system enhancements
• Support audits and SOX and internal control requirements
• Support HR lifecycle processes across regions

Skills

Global payroll experience

Accounting/Finance knowledge

Data analysis

Communication skills

English fluency

German language

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance/HR/business

Tools

Rippling

NetSuite ERP

Job description

Founded in 2020, unybrands is the next-generation brand accelerator platform built to acquire, integrate, and scale digital-first consumer brands. Headquartered in Miami, with offices in New York, London, Berlin, and Shenzhen, our 240+ team brings deep expertise across e-commerce, brand management, consumer retail, operational scaling, and M&A.

Since inception, we have acquired 30+ brands across Pet Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Supplements, Baby & Juvenile, Garden & Outdoor, Sports & Fitness, and Home & Lifestyle — completing 20+ acquisitions and delivering 16 consecutive quarters of like-for-like organic growth post-integration.

Our competitive advantage lies in a fully integrated operating system purpose-built to transform digital brands into omni-channel category leaders. Powered by a proprietary technology stack built on NetSuite ERP with 200+ data integrations, our platform enables brands to thrive across marketplaces, direct-to-consumer channels, and brick-and-mortar retail.

We focus on acquiring digital-first brands within carefully selected verticals, then applying tailored value creation playbooks that drive growth through innovation, expansion, and automation. We believe the next generation of consumer brands will be built differently — and we're building the AI-enabled retail tech platform to help them consolidate and win.

About the role:

The Head of Global Payroll will report to the Chief People Office and will oversee all aspects of payroll operations for our international workforce. This role focuses on ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency across regions. The ideal candidate will have comprehensive knowledge of multi-country payroll regulations and practices, along with strong analytical skills.

Responsibilities include - but not limited to:

Global Payroll Operations

• Fully own payroll processing cycles for US, Germany, UK regions and China regions in collaboration with external partners (ADP, Rippling, etc.)
• Manage and audit payroll data, including new hires, terminations, promotions, transfers, compensation changes, timekeeping data, commissions, bonuses, and employee deductions.
• Oversee complex U.S. multi-state payroll operations across weekly, bi-weekly, and semi-monthly cycles, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local requirements related to payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, overtime, garnishments, paid leave, ACA, and year-end reporting
• Review and approve payroll results, reconciliations, funding reports, payroll tax filings, W-2s, P60s, P11Ds, PSA, ERS, and other statutory reporting before finalization.
• Maintain accurate payroll records, employee data, tax forms, audit trails, and supporting documentation while serving as the primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries and issue resolution

Compliance, Systems, & Accounting

• Ensure compliance with payroll regulations across all jurisdictions, including U.S. federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements, FLSA, FMLA, ACA, garnishment orders, multi-state tax withholding, HMRC requirements in the UK, PAYE, P60/P11D reporting, German social insurance and wage tax regulations, and China individual income tax and social security requirements. Stay current on legal and regulatory changes and recommend updates to policies, procedures, and controls as needed.
• Act as the primary point of contact for internal, external, and statutory audits, including preparation of payroll documentation and support for SOX and other internal control requirements.
• Process payroll accounting entries in NetSuite ERP, perform payroll-related general ledger reconciliations and variance analysis, and support month-end close activities.
• Partner with HR, Finance, and external vendors to manage pension, insurance, benefit deductions, system integrations, testing, reporting, and employee mobility matters.
• Identify and implement process improvements, automation opportunities, reporting dashboards, and system enhancements to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.

HR Operations

• Support HR Business Partners with the administration of the employee lifecycle, including new hire onboarding, contract amendments, and offboarding across all regions.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records within the HRIS, owning data integrity and leading regular audits and reconciliations across all geographies.
• Administer employee benefits programmes across all jurisdictions, including pension auto-enrolment (UK), 401(k) contributions (US), betriebliche Altersvorsorge (Germany), and housing provident fund and social insurance (China).
• Partner with the Reward team and HR Business Partners to process compensation review cycles, bonus payments, commission calculations, and ad-hoc salary adjustments in line with company policy.
• Produce regular HR and payroll management information reports for HR leadership, Finance, and where required, the Board, providing data-driven insight to support business decisions.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of HR policies, processes, and systems, identifying opportunities to automate and streamline operations at scale.
• Support global mobility processes where applicable, including the administration of international assignments, shadow payrolls, and tax equalisation arrangements.

A successful team member will have:

• Minimum 6-8+ years of relevant payroll management or accounting experience, ideally in an international, high-growth, e-commerce or multinational environment.
• At least 2+ years of hands‑on global payroll experience across multiple countries and/or regions.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local payroll regulations, payroll taxes, wage and hour requirements, and year-end reporting.
• Familiarity with US, German, British or Chinese payroll is preferred.
• Experience with Rippling or with other payroll systems is a plus.
• Strong accounting knowledge, including payroll journal entries, reconciliations, and general ledger analysis, is a strong plus.
• Prior experience with NetSuite ERP is not required but highly valued.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written and wants to work on a team to collaborate effectively.
• Fluent in English, German is a significant plus

unybrands is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without any regard to race, skin color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and age. Nor are applicants discriminated against based on disability or protected classes.