Payroll Programme & Process Manager

Company Description

Publicis Re:Sources is at the core of Publicis Groupe, the world's largest communications company. We are the only full-service, end-to-end shared service organization in the industry, enabling Groupe agencies to do what they do best: innovate and transform for their clients.

 

Formed in 1998 as a small team to service a few Publicis Groupe firms, Publicis Re:Sources has grown to 6,000+ employees in over 55 countries. We provide technology solutions and business services, including finance, accounting, legal, benefits, procurement, tax, real estate, treasury and risk management, information security, and global mobility — supporting 110,000+ employees across the Publicis Groupe network. Our people are at the center of everything we do, bringing curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence to their work every day. 

 

Learn more about Publicis Re:Sources and the Publicis Groupe agencies we support at publicisresources.com.

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and internationally-minded Payroll Programme & Process Manager for a temporary 6-month assignment based in the Netherlands, working in a hybrid model, to support the Head of Payroll and Global Payroll Process Lead in driving payroll transformation, governance, operational excellence and strategic projects across the EMEA region.

This role sits within a Shared Services environment and acts as the key project and programme management partner for payroll initiatives, ensuring consistent delivery of regional priorities, process improvements, system implementations, compliance enhancements and operating model changes.

The successful candidate will combine deep payroll expertise with strong project management, stakeholder management and process optimisation capabilities. They will work across multiple countries, functions and vendor partners to deliver a best-in-class payroll service while supporting the continuous evolution of the payroll operating model.

Responsibilities

Payroll Transformation & Projects

• Lead and coordinate EMEA payroll transformation initiatives, including process standardisation, automation and digitalisation projects.
• Manage regional payroll projects from initiation through implementation and post-go-live support.
• Support payroll system enhancements, integrations, migrations and technology deployments.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives focused on efficiency, accuracy, controls and service quality.
• Develop project plans, governance structures and progress reporting for senior stakeholders.

Process Excellence & Governance

• Partner with the Global Payroll Process Lead to implement global payroll standards and best practices across EMEA.
• Identify opportunities for process harmonisation and standardisation across countries.
• Ensure strong payroll controls, governance frameworks and audit readiness.
• Monitor payroll compliance requirements and support implementation of regulatory changes.
• Support risk management activities and payroll issue resolution.

Regional Payroll Leadership Support

• Act as a strategic partner to the EMEA Head of Payroll on regional priorities and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Coordinate regional payroll governance meetings and action plans.
• Prepare executive reporting, project updates, KPI dashboards and business cases.
• Support vendor management activities and service reviews.
• Assist with workforce planning, capacity assessments and operational prioritisation.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner closely with HR, Finance, IT, Legal and Shared Services leadership teams.
• Build relationships with in-country payroll teams and external payroll providers.
• Facilitate workshops and working groups to drive project delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• Influence senior stakeholders across multiple countries and functions.

Change Management

• Support organisational and process change initiatives across the payroll function.
• Develop communication and training plans for payroll-related changes.
• Drive user adoption and embedding of new processes and technologies.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across the payroll organisation.

Qualifications

Essential

• 8+ years' experience within payroll, payroll operations, payroll transformation or payroll project management.
• Significant experience working within a Shared Services Centre (SSC), Big Four GBS or outsourcing environment.
• Strong understanding of multi-country payroll operations across Europe and/or EMEA.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex international projects.
• Experience working with payroll vendors and outsourced payroll models.
• Strong process improvement and operational excellence mindset.
• Advanced stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Fluent English.

Preferred

• Experience supporting payroll operations across 15+ countries.
• Exposure to Workday, SAP, SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM or equivalent HRIS platforms.
• Lean Six Sigma, PMP, Prince2 or equivalent project management certification.
• Experience within a global matrix organisation.
• Additional European language(s).

Additional Information

The ideal candidate will be a senior payroll professional with strong experience in payroll transformation, programme and project management, process improvement and governance within a complex international Shared Services environment. They should be confident working across multiple countries, managing senior stakeholders, supporting change initiatives and using data to drive decision-making, reporting and operational improvements.Success in this role will be measured by the ability to deliver key EMEA payroll transformation projects within the 6-month assignment, improve process standardisation and governance, increase automation and efficiency, strengthen payroll controls and compliance, and establish trusted partnership with the EMEA Head of Payroll and Global Payroll Process Lead.Key competencies required include payroll expertise, international stakeholder management, executive communication, vendor management, change management, strategic thinking, data analysis and strong project governance.