Payroll Specialist, Europe (m/f/d)

What We Can Achieve Together The Payroll Specialist, Europe will be a member of the Finance & Operations team and will be responsible for the end-to-end administration, coordination, and execution of payroll operations across multiple European countries and legal entities. The position ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing and serves as the primary liaison between Finance, Human Resources, employees, and external payroll providers. This position is part of Finance & Operations and focuses on payroll execution, payroll compliance, payroll controls, payroll accounting, and payroll vendor management. We Are Looking For You The successful candidate will combine strong payroll administration expertise with attention to detail, customer service, and the ability to manage multiple country payrolls simultaneously while handling confidential information and driving process improvements. Essential Functions · Execute end-to-end payroll operations across multiple European countries. · Manage payroll calendars, deadlines, and processing schedules. · Coordinate payroll activities with external payroll vendors and accounting providers. · Review and validate payroll calculations, deductions, benefits, taxes, and statutory contributions. · Maintain payroll-related employee data, including salary, tax, social security, and bank information. · Ensure payroll changes related to hires, terminations, compensation changes, benefits, and leave are processed accurately. · Oversee time reporting and leave administration processes to ensure payroll accuracy. · Prepare and review payroll accounting reports and related adjustments. · Reconcile payroll reports to vendor reports, general ledger accounts, and local books. · Support payroll payments and related banking processes. · Maintain payroll documentation, audit trails, SOPs, and process controls. · Respond to employee payroll inquiries. · Coordinate payroll audits and compliance reviews. · Produce payroll reports, perform analysis, and identify process improvements. · Support additional Finance & Operations activities and projects related to payroll, employee compensation accounting, reconciliations, reporting, compliance, and process improvements as assigned. Responsibilities & Scope · Own assigned payroll processes end-to-end and exercise independent judgment. · Coordinate payroll activities involving multiple countries, vendors, and stakeholders. · Handle confidential employee and compensation information with discretion. · Perform analysis, research, reconciliation, issue resolution, and follow-through. · Ensure compliance with TNC policies and applicable legal requirements. · Manage relationships with payroll providers and related vendors. · Contribute to payroll process improvement and standardization across Europe. · Support broader Finance & Operations initiatives and special projects as needed, particularly where payroll, employee compensation, compliance, reporting, or process improvement activities intersect with Finance responsibilities. · Complete other duties within the scope of the role assigned by the supervisor. Minimum Qualifications · Bachelor’s degree and 2 years related experience or equivalent combination. · Experience coordinating administrative processes. · Experience generating reports and interpreting data. · Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading. · Experience organizing time and managing diverse activities to meet deadlines. · Experience working across teams and communicating with a wide range of people. Desired Qualifications · Professional working proficiency in German and English is required. Additional languages are a plus. · Multi-cultural or cross-cultural experiences are appreciated. · Ability to analyze information for planning activities and solving problems. · Ability to use technology to achieve desired results. · Excellent customer service skills and focus. · Experience interpreting guidelines to achieve desired results. · Knowledge of payroll administration, payroll accounting, payroll compliance, and payroll vendor management. · Experience working with multi-country European payroll. · Experience working with Workday or similar HRIS/payroll systems. · Strong organizational skills, accuracy, and attention to detail. This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program. Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." To learn more about the Auto Safety Program, visit the Auto Safety information page. Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record. Salary Information: USA only - delete as required The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $XXX,XXX – XXX,XXX or hourly rate. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment. USA and Global - delete as required This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity, taking into consideration legal restrictions, such as non-national ratios and immigration processing times. For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for this position is generally within the range of $XXX,XXX – XXX,XXX or hourly rate for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. For all other applicants, pay ranges will be in local currency, the pay range will be based on the local labor market, and not tied to the above pay range. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment and used to determine your actual pay range. Additionally, for all applicants, actual pay will fall within a range based on a variety of factors including, for example, the candidate’s qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Canada - delete as required This position may only be based in a Canadian province/territory where TNC is registered (Ontario, Alberta, Northwest Territories). The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $XXX,XXX – XXX,XXX or hourly rate CAD for annual base salary. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is Canada. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate’s location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment. Who We Are: The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor. One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.” What We Bring: Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here. We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ. Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law. TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line. The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and over 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 79 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 42 through partners. To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Our vision is a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.