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Helsing is a defence AI company focused on protecting democracies through technological leadership. As Payroll Lead, you will own Helsing's payroll function across Germany and the growing international footprint, with a hands-on leadership approach that balances strategic design with operational execution.
You will take end-to-end responsibility for payroll operations across multiple entities and regions, with particular depth in Germany and the DACH region. This includes setting service standards, establishing controls and escalation paths, and holding external providers accountable for performance. You will guide payroll specialists, ensuring fair workload distribution and building cross-functional knowledge to prevent single-person dependencies.
Key responsibilities include:
- Owning payroll delivery across multiple entities and pay frequencies, remaining hands-on in monthly cycles and ensuring accurate, timely delivery
- Designing and continuously improving a scalable payroll operating model covering workflows, intake channels, escalation paths, service levels, approvals, reconciliations and audit-ready evidence
- Guiding and developing payroll specialists with clear standards and fair workload sharing
- Partnering with Finance on payroll accounting, reconciliations, and month-end/quarter-end/year-end close
- Managing the service and commercial relationship with external payroll providers, including performance reviews and partner selection for new countries
- Safeguarding statutory compliance across jurisdictions with particular expertise in German wage tax, social security and labour law
- Leading payroll setup when entering new countries or establishing new entities, from operating approach definition through provider selection, testing and first live cycle
- Reducing manual work and operational risk through process improvements, HRIS/payroll integrations and automation
You will operate at both strategic and operational levels—comfortable designing payroll systems while also managing the detail of monthly cycles when needed. As Helsing expands internationally, you will decide how payroll should operate in new jurisdictions.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Owned or played a leading role in multi-entity, multi-country payroll in a growing international company, including hands-on responsibility for payroll cycles
- Selected, managed and challenged external payroll providers; established clear accountability between internal teams and outsourced partners
- Guided payroll specialists or a payroll team, balancing workload, quality and cross-cover through growth and change (formal people management experience valuable but not essential)
- Built or significantly reshaped payroll processes, controls, systems or operating models with demonstrated improvements
- Deep knowledge of German payroll compliance (wage tax, social security, relevant labour law) kept current
- Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels
- Fluent communication in German and English, in writing and in person, with colleagues, providers and local authorities
NICE TO HAVE:
- Experience connecting HRIS (e.g., HiBob) to payroll systems (e.g., DATEV, ADP) or scaling such platforms
- Set up payroll in a new country or entity from provider selection through first live cycle
- Helped build or scale a payroll team or function as organisation expanded internationally
