Senior Payroll Specialist - MEA region

Are you an experienced payroll professional ready to  broaden your international payroll expertise and take on a new regional challenge? We are looking for a  Senior Payroll Specialist for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region  to join our international payroll team and support payroll operations across multiple countries. This is an opportunity to build strong knowledge of a diverse region, work with colleagues and stakeholders across different countries and cultures and expand your experience beyond the standard monthly payroll cycle. You will take ownership of monthly payroll activities, resolve payroll queries, support reporting and audits, and contribute to continuous improvement and regional payroll projects.

As a Senior Payroll Specialist, you will support the accurate and timely payroll process for assigned countries and entities across the MEA region. You will coordinate monthly payroll activities, validate payroll data and employee changes, work closely with HR, Finance, employees, local stakeholders, and payroll partners, and help ensure each payroll cycle runs smoothly and accurately. You will also support reporting, audits, controls, documentation, and continuous improvements across the regional payroll environment. How You Will Do It Coordinate monthly payroll activities according to agreed payroll calendars, local requirements, and established processes. Collect, review, and validate monthly payroll inputs such as overtime, bonuses, allowances, absences, new hires, terminations, transfers, and other employee changes. Prepare and validate payroll data and follow up on payroll-related questions and discrepancies through to resolution. Perform payroll checks and controls, investigate variances, and ensure issues are resolved before payroll sign-off. Partner with HR, Finance, employees, local stakeholders, and payroll partners to resolve payroll-related queries. Support payroll reporting, audits, controls, and required documentation throughout the year. Maintain accurate payroll records and ensure payroll-related data is complete and up to date. Contribute to payroll process improvements, system changes, harmonization activities, and regional projects. Collaborate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across different countries, cultures, and time zones. Take ownership of your activities, proactively investigate issues, seek information, and involve the right stakeholders when clarification is needed. What We Look For Required 3+ years of experience in payroll administration or payroll processing. Good understanding of payroll processes and monthly payroll cycles. Strong attention to detail and ability to work accurately with payroll data. Strong organizational skills and ability to manage deadlines and priorities. Confident written and spoken English. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, including lookups, pivot tables, and basic formulas. Proactive mindset and strong sense of ownership – you are comfortable investigating issues, asking questions, and driving tasks through to completion. Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with an international team. Strong problem-solving and communication skills. Comfort working with stakeholders across different countries and time zones. Preferred Experience working in an international or multicultural payroll environment. Experience supporting payroll across multiple countries. Previous exposure to MEA payroll would be a strong advantage, but  is not essential . What You Will Gain This role gives you the opportunity to  broaden your payroll expertise beyond a single country or market  and develop valuable knowledge of payroll operations across the Middle East and Africa. You will gain exposure to different countries, local requirements, cultures, stakeholders, and ways of working while strengthening your experience in a truly international payroll environment. And the role goes beyond the monthly payroll