About this role.
Remote is hiring a Global Payroll Implementation Country Lead for Germany to oversee end-to-end client payroll implementations in a fully remote, international environment. The role requires deep expertise in German payroll legislation, client-facing payroll delivery, implementation planning, reconciliations, and local payroll systems such as SAP and Excel or Google Sheets. The successful candidate will lead projects through parallel runs and the first live payroll cycle, then transition complete documentation and operating procedures to Payroll Operations. They will also support sales and client handovers, improve standardized processes, contribute to platform testing, and mentor Payroll Generalists. The position emphasizes asynchronous work, ownership, KPI/SLA performance, and clear communication across customers and internal teams.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
5/5Pace & Pressure
4/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
Estimated compensation compared with the broader EU market for similar roles.
Core skills
Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.
Sample interview questions
I would begin with a structured discovery covering legal entity details, employee populations, contracts, pay elements, benefits, tax and social-insurance setup, reporting requirements, data sources, and ownership. I would create a project plan with milestones, dependencies, risks, approval points, data-validation controls, and documented decisions. After configuration and testing, I would run reconciled parallel payrolls, obtain client sign-off, support the first live cycle closely, and hand over complete SOPs and known-issue documentation to Payroll Operations.
Key risks include incorrect wage tax treatment, social-insurance registration or contribution calculations, statutory reporting deadlines, employee master-data inaccuracies, incorrect handling of variable compensation and benefits, and insufficient audit documentation. I would use validation checklists, reconciliations against source data and prior periods, clear approval controls, and timely escalation to reduce these risks.
I would first clarify the requested outcome and assess the relevant legal and operational requirements. I would explain the risk in plain language, propose compliant alternatives, document the advice and decision, and involve internal legal or compliance specialists where needed. If the requested approach remained non-compliant, I would not implement it and would escalate through the appropriate governance process.
I set clear expectations for response times, project milestones, owners, and decision deadlines at the start of the engagement. I use concise written updates with status, risks, actions, and required decisions, while maintaining a single source of truth for project documentation. I reserve live meetings for complex decisions or sensitive issues and follow them with written records of outcomes and next steps.
I would map the current workflow and measure bottlenecks, error patterns, rework, handoff delays, and SLA performance. I would then prioritize changes with the greatest impact, such as standardized intake templates, automated data checks, reusable country-specific checklists, clearer ownership, or better system integrations. After piloting the improvement, I would track outcomes, update SOPs, train the team, and incorporate feedback into the standard process.
About Remote
With Innovation as one of the core values, we have built Automation and AI capabilities into the requirements for every role.
We encourage every member of the Remote team to bring their talents, experiences and culture to the table to help us build the best-in-class HR platform.
What this job can offer you
This is an exciting time to join Remote and make a personal difference in the global employment space as a Global Payroll Country (or Regional) Lead , joining our Implementation team.
What you bring
- Extensive payroll experience in a client payroll environment.
- Expert legislative knowledge in the relevant Country.
- Payroll implementation experience .
- Strong communication skills for explaining payroll processes and issues to customers and other stakeholders.
- Deep knowledge in using local payroll tools and software tools like SAP, Excel / Google Sheet.
- An analytical mindset with great problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, international work environment with a passion for making an impact.
- Experience in accounting/reconciliations.
- Is a productivity geek and will constantly think of ways to improve and speed up their work.
- You understand the need and ideal to work largely asynchronously.
- Writes and speaks fluent English
- It’s not required to have experience working remotely, but considered a plus
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a true subject matter expert for the specified country / region
- Attend Sales calls as the Country Payroll Lead
- Participate in Sales hand-over, Lead client hand-over and client kick-off calls
- Lead the planning, execution, and monitoring of global payroll implementation projects, ensuring timely delivery
- Lead the process from inception through to Parallel runs and the first month of ‘Live’ payroll before handing over to Payroll Operations
- Ensure that there is a record of all decisions that were taken throughout the implementation process and ensure Payroll Operations have full visibility including any Standard Operating Procedures that they will require to fulfil ‘Business As Usual’
- Develop and maintain detailed project plans & timelines.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the team for all stakeholders involved in the implementation process, including internal teams & customers.
- Develop and implement standardised payroll processes, project plans and procedures to ensure consistency and efficiency.
- Provide ongoing support during and after the implementation to resolve any issues or challenges.
- Support the wider implementation team (including Payroll Generalist) and ops team.
- Have a focus on KPIs and SLAs.
- Skilled in implementing and improving processes.
- Ability to mentor, support and lead our Payroll Generalists who will be working alongside you.
- Working with internal teams to improve our platform, completing UAT testing through to shipping. Ensuring all changes are documented .
Practicals
- You’ll report to: Manager, Payroll Operations
- Team: Global Payroll Operations
- Location: Anywhere in the World
- Start date: As soon as possible
Application process
- (async) Profile review
- Interview with recruiter
- Interview with team member(s)
- Interview with future manager
- Bar raiser
- (async) Offer
- Prior employment verification check
#LI-DNP
Remote’s Total Rewards philosophy is to ensure fair, unbiased compensation and fair equity pay along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate. We do not agree to or encourage cheap-labor practices and therefore we ensure to pay above in-location rates. We hope to inspire other companies to support global talent-hiring and bring local wealth to developing countries.
At first glance our salary bands seem quite wide – here is some context. At Remote we have international operations and a globally distributed workforce. We use geo ranges to consider geographic pay differentials as part of our global compensation strategy to remain competitive in various markets while we hiring globally.
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level and location, and our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay for the successful candidate in this role is dependent upon many factors such as location, transferable or job-related skills, work experience, relevant training, business needs, and market demands. The base salary range may be subject to change.
At Remote, we foster internal mobility as a key element of our culture of employee growth and development, supported by a compensation philosophy that guarantees pay equity and fairness. Therefore, all compensation changes associated with an internal move will be reviewed by the Total Rewards & People Enablement team on a case by case basis.
Benefits
- work from anywhere
- flexible paid time off
- flexible working hours (we are async)
- 16 weeks paid parental leave
- budget towards co-working spaces, learning and wellness (including gym memberships)
- mental health support services
- stock options
- home office budget & IT equipment
How you’ll plan your day (and life)
We work async at Remote which means you can plan your schedule around your life (and not around meetings). Read more at remote.com/async.
You will be empowered to take ownership and be proactive. When in doubt you will default to action instead of waiting. Your life-work balance is important and you will be encouraged to put yourself and your family first, and fit work around your needs.
If that sounds like something you want, apply now!
How to apply
- Please fill out the form below and upload your CV with a PDF format.
- We kindly ask you to submit your application and CV in English, as this is the standardised language we use here at Remote.
- If you don’t have an up to date CV but you are still interested in talking to us, please feel free to add a copy of your LinkedIn profile instead.
Not only do we encourage folks from all ethnic groups, genders, sexuality, age, abilities, disability status and any other under-represented group to apply, but we prioritize a sense of belonging. We have 4 ERGs (Women, Disability, Queer, Minorities in Tech) who meet regularly with the People team. During your interviews and beyond, we ask & encourage anybody who needs an accommodation to request one from their recruiter.
We will ask you to voluntarily tell us your pronouns at interview stage, and you will have the option to answer our anonymous demographic questionnaire when you apply below. As an equal employment opportunity employer it’s important to us that our workforce reflects people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences and this data will help us to stay accountable. We thank you for providing this data, if you chose to.
At Remote, we embrace AI as a valuable tool while prioritizing human creativity and authenticity. We look forward to meeting candidates who balance innovation with genuine expertise and experience. To learn more about Remote’s AI guidelines check see here.
Please note we accept applications on an ongoing basis.
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