Senior Payroll Manager

Sewell Wallis are proud to be partnering with an established global manufacturing business based in Rotherham South Yorkshire, who are seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Manager to oversee payroll operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

This is a senior role responsible for ensuring employees are paid accurately, on time, and in full compliance with local laws across a diverse group of countries. You will manage payroll for approximately 4,000 employees, working across a mix of local payroll providers and outsourced partners.

You'll also play a key role in improving and standardising payroll processes across the region, particularly where businesses have been brought together through acquisitions.

What will you be doing?

As the Senior Payroll Manager, you will take ownership of payroll delivery across multiple countries, ensuring smooth operations, strong controls, and full legal compliance.

You will act as the key point of contact between local payroll providers, internal HR and Finance teams, and external auditors. A core part of the role will also involve improving processes, strengthening reporting, and introducing automation where possible.

• Oversee payroll delivery across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
• Ensure employees are paid accurately and on time in each location
• Manage relationships with payroll providers and external partners, ensuring service levels are met
• Support the integration of newly acquired businesses into standard payroll processes
• Ensure compliance with local tax, social security, pension, and employment regulations
• Work with HR and Legal on pay transparency and equal pay reporting requirements
• Ensure payroll data is handled securely and in line with GDPR requirements
• Prepare payroll reporting for Finance, including month-end reconciliations and variance analysis
• Oversee statutory filings and year-end reporting requirements across all countries
• Act as key contact for internal and external audits
• Support accurate time and attendance data feeding into payroll
• Identify opportunities to improve and automate payroll processes using new tools and AI (where permitted)
• Manage more complex payroll areas such as expatriate employees and share-based compensation
• Lead, support, and develop a small regional payroll team

What skills do we need?

We are looking for an experienced payroll professional with strong multi-country exposure and a practical, hands-on approach.

• At least 7 years' payroll experience, including team or managerial responsibility
• Experience managing payroll across multiple countries using both local providers and outsourced partners
• Strong understanding of payroll rules across Europe, Middle East, and Africa
• Strong Excel skills and experience with reporting tools
• Experience working with payroll controls, audits, and compliance frameworks
• Strong communication skills and ability to work across different countries and cultures
• Comfortable working in a changing environment, including company integrations and acquisitions
• Interest in improving processes and using technology (including AI tools) to make payroll more efficient

What's on offer?

• Competitive annual salary
• Hybrid working model
• Fantastic modern offices
• Excellent, collaborative, people first culture
• Various additional employee benefits

Apply for this role below or for more information, contact Kayley.

To apply please send your CV, quoting our reference and specifying which website you saw this position advertised on. Due to the high volume of applications please accept that if we have not responded to your application within seven days, your application has not been successful. Sewell Wallis is a specialist recruitment company with a vast amount of experience in our industry we offer permanent, temporary and interim recruitment support for accounting and finance, human resources and business support positions. We recruit at all levels within finance from Purchase Ledger Administrator and Credit Controller level through to Financial Controller and Director positions. With offices in Sheffield and Leeds, we are well situated to cover all of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Manchester. Please visit our website for more information on accountancy and finance jobs and human resources or business support positions.