Manager Pay Operations-Europe POST NUMBER: 468830
Vaco Highspring is recruiting exclusively on behalf of a well established Fortune 500 enterprise organisation.
- Work Arrangement: Onsite, South East England (within practical commuting distance of the Western Greater London / Thames Valley corridor)
- Confidentiality Notice: Exact office location to be disclosed at shortlist stage only
- This position requires regular physical presence in the office and is not designed as a remote or hybrid role
- Applicants must already be locally based within a reasonable commuting distance
- Candidates must possess the legal, unrestricted right to work in the UK
- The organisation does not provide visa sponsorship, either now or in the future
- This opportunity is offered on a permanent, direct?employment basis only (no contract to hire, umbrella, or third party arrangements)
- Base Salary: £80,000
- Annual Bonus: 15% target
This role sits within the European payroll function of a globally scaled enterprise, supporting pay operations across multiple jurisdictions for a workforce numbering in the several thousand range.
The organisation has recently completed significant payroll systems and operating model changes. As a result, this role is focused on embedding stability, reinforcing controls, and ensuring consistent operational delivery, rather than driving further transformation.
The Senior Manager will serve as a hands on operational leader, working closely with cross functional partners and external payroll providers to ensure timely, compliant, and accurate payroll execution across a diverse European footprint.
- Provides operational ownership for multi jurisdictional payroll delivery across Europe
- Acts as a stabilising presence following enterprise wide payroll and systems change initiatives
- Ensures standardised processes, controls, and governance frameworks are consistently applied
- Maintains close involvement in payroll execution, issue resolution, and country specific nuances
- Oversees service delivery performance across multiple external payroll partners
- Partners with HR, Finance, Tax, and Legal stakeholders to support ongoing business requirements
- Supports audit readiness through documentation, process adherence, and data integrity
- Leads and develops a geographically distributed payroll team, promoting accountability and continuity
Payroll operations span a varied European landscape, encompassing:
- Northern European jurisdictions
- Southern European markets
- Western European countries
- Smaller EU locations with heightened regulatory complexity
- Employee population: High volume, enterprise scale workforce (multiple thousands)
- Territory: Europe (multi country scope)
- Delivery Model: Outsourced payroll partners supported by enterprise payroll technology
- Context: Post implementation / post restructuring operational environment
- Minimum 6 years’ experience within payroll operations, ideally including responsibility for multi country or regionally complex environments
- Demonstrated exposure to enterprise payroll organisations following system implementations or operating model redesigns
- Prior people management or team coordination experience within payroll or shared services
- Academic background in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related discipline
- Professional payroll certification advantageous (UK, regional, or international equivalents acceptable)
- Strong working knowledge of European statutory payroll obligations, including labour and tax considerations
- Comfort operating as a detail oriented, execution focused manager, not solely a strategic overseer
- Ability to support, coach, and maintain performance across distributed teams
- Experience managing vendor led payroll delivery models
- Highly developed organisational and analytical skills with strong attention to accuracy
- Clear, professional communicator across functions and regions
- Familiarity with enterprise payroll systems, integrations, and upstream/downstream data flows
- Proven ability to operate effectively within complex, matrixed global organisations
- Track record demonstrating consistency, role stability, and sustained operational ownership
This position offers the chance to contribute meaningfully to the long term stability and effectiveness of a mature European payroll function within a globally recognised enterprise, with emphasis on execution excellence, governance, and reliability rather than ongoing transformation.
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.
Vaco by Highspring values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.
EEO Notice
Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law.
Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact HR@vaco.com .
Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.
By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.
Privacy Notice
Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco by Highspring”) respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.
- California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
- Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
- Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
- Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
- Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here.
Pay Transparency Notice
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:
- the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
- licensure and certification requirements;
- office location and other geographic considerations;
- other business and organizational needs.
With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.