Senior Payroll Specialist

We are seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to provide expert-level payroll support across multiple countries, with a strong focus on accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence. This role is ideal for an experienced payroll professional who can operate independently, manage complexity across jurisdictions, and partner closely with internal stakeholders and external providers.

• Act as a senior subject-matter expert for French (must have) and German (preferred) payroll
  , ensuring accurate and compliant payroll delivery.
• Manage end-to-end payroll processes, including data validation, payroll calculations, statutory deductions, benefits coordination, and post-payroll reconciliation.
• Ensure compliance with French and German labor laws, tax regulations, social security requirements, and reporting obligations
  .
• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll vendors, EOR partners, and internal stakeholders for France and Germany.
• Review, validate, and approve payroll outputs from external providers, maintaining strong governance and audit readiness.
• Support onboarding, offboarding, and payroll-related employee queries with a high level of professionalism and responsiveness.
• Partner with HR, Finance, and Legal teams to ensure alignment on payroll processes, policies, and controls.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, including process optimization, documentation, and standardization across regions.
• Support payroll-related projects such as country expansions, vendor transitions, audits, and system enhancements.

• The role is positioned as a senior individual contributor
  , with ownership of France and Germany payroll operations
  , and potential exposure to additional countries over time.
• The role has strong visibility across regional and global stakeholders.

• 5+ years of progressive experience in payroll operations in an international or multi-country environment.
• Hands‑on experience managing French payroll is mandatory.
• Hands‑on experience managing German payroll is strongly preferred and considered a significant advantage.
• Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, tax, and compliance frameworks in France and Germany.
• Experience working with external payroll vendors and/or EOR providers.
• Solid understanding of payroll controls, audits, and risk management.
• High attention to detail and ability to manage complex payroll data under tight deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

• Exposure to regional or global payroll operations beyond France and Germany.
• Experience supporting remote and distributed work forces.
• Familiarity with multinational payroll systems and HRIS platforms.
• Working knowledge of French and/or German language is a plus but not required.

Cytel Inc. is an Equal Employment / Affirmative Action Employer. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by law.