Payroll Manager Europe

As Payroll Manager Europe, you will be a key strategic driver in the modernization and standardization of Skechers' payroll operations across the European continent.

Beyond operational payroll oversight, your primary mandate will be to lead end-to-end transformation projects – redesigning processes, harmonizing tools, and steering the evolution of our payroll operating model across multiple countries and business activities (Retail, Logistics, Corporate).

You will act as the European Centre of Expertise for Payroll, combining deep technical knowledge, strong project management discipline, and a genuine ability to develop, coach and upskill local payroll teams.

You will engage stakeholders at all levels – from local HR teams to executive sponsors and external vendors – with clear, structured, and proactive communication.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Payroll Transformation & Project Leadership

• Own and lead the European payroll transformation roadmap: tool migrations, process harmonization, outsourcing strategy, and integration of Time & Attendance systems.
• Apply rigorous project management approaches to structure and deliver every transformation initiative: clear scope, detailed planning, budget control, milestone tracking, risk management, and formal governance frameworks.
• Define the target operating model for European payroll, in alignment with global HR and Finance strategies, ensuring every step is written, owned, and auditable.
• Pilot and manage RFP processes for payroll provider selection, contract negotiation, and vendor onboarding – including standardization of T&A interface requirements across all providers.
• Drive change management initiatives with strong project discipline: structured communication plans, stakeholder alignment, training programs, adoption frameworks, and post-go-live stabilization plans.
• Build and maintain a structured project governance: scope, budget, milestones, risks, and KPIs, with regular steering committee reporting to senior leadership and executive sponsors.
• Define and implement a common KPI framework applicable to all European providers, and build a consolidated European dashboard bottom-up from local data.

Process Design, Team Coaching & Continuous Improvement

• Conduct structured assessments of local payroll teams and processes across Europe: evaluate skills, identify gaps, and define individual and collective improvement plans - prioritizing highest-risk countries first.
• Design and implement standardized, end-to-end documented payroll processes across countries (HR cut-off → calculation → payment within defined SLA), while accommodating local regulatory requirements.
• Act as a coach and mentor for local payroll teams, supporting their growth in technical expertise, process rigor, and compliance awareness through regular process reviews and co-built action plans.
• Ensure robust internal controls before payment: formal checkpoints at every stage, not just system reliance.
• Guarantee Time & Attendance data quality: clean, timely T&A input as a prerequisite for accurate variable pay output.
• Proceduralize all complex case management: joiners, leavers, part-time, parental leave, expatriates, benefits in kind, sickness, and terminations.
• Deploy a consistent KPI approach at country level: help each local team understand, own, and continuously improve their performance indicators (on-time rate, error rate, query volume, SLA adherence).
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability within the European payroll community, through regular knowledge-sharing sessions, peer learning, and best practice dissemination.

Multi-Country Payroll Operations & Compliance

• Provide strategic oversight of monthly payroll cycles across multiple European countries, ensuring zero recurring errors and full compliance with local social and tax legislation.
• Ensure all declarations are filed on time with correct contribution bases, and that every legal update is applied on its effective date.
• Serve as the ultimate point of escalation for payroll issues, complex regulatory cases, and cross-country topics.
• Define and enforce a minimum control standard per country, with a clear escalation protocol with each provider.
• Ensure full compliance with GDPR requirements and internal group policies.
• Monitor legislative evolutions across European countries and anticipate their impact on payroll processes.
• Maintain a complete and traceable audit trail: every calculation traceable, every change logged, payroll security standards upheld.

Stakeholder Management & Cross-functional Collaboration

• Act as the primary interface between HR Operations, Finance, Legal, and IT on all payroll-related transformation topics.
• Build and maintain strong partne