Payroll Specialist (m/f/d)

About Appinio

Appinio is an international market research company that blends an AI-driven insights platform with expert consulting. Its goal is to help businesses make better decisions by understanding consumer behavior through fact-based research. Founded in Hamburg in 2014, the company now operates remotely across 13 countries, with more than 260 employees, 2,600+ clients worldwide, and research coverage in over 190 markets.

Appinio follows a transparent hiring approach and shares what candidates can expect throughout the recruitment journey.

Role overview

Appinio is seeking a proactive, tech-oriented Payroll Specialist to support the People Team and keep payroll operations running smoothly across its global workforce. The role focuses on preparing end-to-end payroll for multiple international entities while staying aligned with local rules and deadlines. A key part of the job is improving systems and workflows so payroll can scale efficiently as the company grows.

About the team

The People Team works with a product-oriented mindset and places strong value on openness, collaboration, and partnership with internal stakeholders. The team aims to understand employee and business needs, drive adoption of better processes, and deliver practical outcomes. It is positioned as a trusted partner to the business and an advocate for employees.

What you'll do

• Take ownership of the preparatory payroll cycle for international entities including Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, the UK, and the Netherlands, ensuring accuracy and punctual submission.
• Act as the main contact for external payroll providers, the EOR partner Remote, and the US PEO provider, while handling payroll compliance matters and statutory questions carefully.
• Manage payroll support requests from employees, responding quickly and empathetically with a high level of payroll knowledge.
• Spot process bottlenecks and help automate payroll-related workflows to cut down manual work and make global operations easier to scale.
• Work with RevOps to calculate commissions and bonus payments correctly and on time.
• Support Finance with staff cost reporting, audits, and workforce planning using data.
• Partner with Finance and Legal on grant and subsidy applications, including R&D tax credits and local employment grants, by supplying accurate personnel data, salary records, and compliance documentation.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of experience handling preparatory payroll for Germany.
• Hands-on experience with preparatory payroll in France and/or Spain, along with a strong understanding of local statutory requirements.
• Additional exposure to Austria, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, or Portugal is considered an advantage.
• Proven ability to coordinate with external payroll vendors and keep payroll compliant; experience with EOR and PEO providers is a plus.
• A strong process-improvement mindset, with experience identifying manual steps and building automation between HRIS and payroll systems.
• Comfort working with data and advanced spreadsheet tools such as Excel or Google Sheets.
• The ability to explain tax and payroll topics clearly and patiently in a service-focused way.
• A strong sense of ownership and the ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, scaling environment while keeping payroll transparent, compliant, and audit-ready.
• Professional fluency in both English and German, spoken and written.

Perks and benefits

• No fixed limit on vacation days under the company’s flexibility policy.
• If based in the EU, the option to work from outside your country of residence for up to 180 days per year.
• Company-provided hardware, including a MacBook.
• For employees in Hamburg or Berlin, access to a Deutschland ticket or a mobility budget through the NAVIT app for commuting.
• Subsidised membership for Urban Sports Club or ClassPass, depending on location.
• Access to coworking spaces in cities where many team members are based, including Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, London, Madrid, Barcelona, and New York.

Additional details

This position reports directly to the Team Lead Talent Acquisition & People Operations.

Interview process

• Initial screening call with a Talent Acquisition Partner.
• Interview with the Team Lead Talent Acquisition & People Operations.
• Case study interview with senior members of the People Team.
• Reference checks.
• Executive interview with C-level leadership.
• Offer stage.

Other information

Applications must be submitted in English. Appinio encourages candidates who meet most of the criteria and are excited about the role to apply, even if they are not a perfect match. The company is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants without discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.

Learn more about the company through its official website and social channels.