Payroll Specialist Lead - Ukraine (Individual Contributor)

What this job can offer you

The Payroll Specialist Lead - Ukraine is a critical role within Remote’s dynamic global payroll organization. Nestled within our EOR and Payroll Operations Team, this role is responsible for delivering accurate, compliant payroll operations within assigned countries while also contributing to the improvement and scalability of our global payroll processes.

You will work closely with internal stakeholders across Payroll Operations, Tax, Finance, Product and Customer Success, while coordinating with diverse payroll partners where applicable.

This role is well suited for a mid-to-senior career payroll ops professional who has deep hands-on experience running payroll in complex environments and is comfortable operating in globally distributed teams.

What you bring

• Brings meaningful mid-senior career experience in Ukrainian payroll operations, including hands-on responsibility for end-to-end payroll processing in Ukraine
• Has managed payroll in multi-country environments or global organizations, with exposure to different payroll systems and local regulatory frameworks.
• Demonstrates strong understanding of payroll controls, reconciliations, statutory reporting, and compliance requirements.
• Comfortable working with internal and external stakeholders in Remote’s payroll ecosystem, and coordinating cross-functional stakeholders.
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage complex payroll scenarios.
• Strong written and oral communicator, comfortable working in asynchronous and globally distributed environments.
• Takes ownership of outcomes, raises risks early, and approaches operational challenges with curiosity and accountability.
• Comfortable working in scrappy, quick-moving start-up environments.
• Proficient in payroll tools and data analysis using in-house and external platforms
• Experience working in remote or globally distributed teams is an advantage.
• Demonstrates strong fluency in English; additional languages are a plus.
• Demonstrates strong automation and AI capabilities and AI fluency.

Key Responsibilities 

• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, on time, and in compliance with country-specific regulations and statutory requirements.
• Own end-to-end payroll execution for assigned jurisdictions, including validation of payroll inputs, payroll calculations, and post-payroll processes.
• Act as a subject matter expert on country payroll requirements, staying up to date with legislative, tax, and regulatory developments that may impact payroll operations.
• Support the operational implementation and rollout of payroll services in new or expanding jurisdictions, ensuring payroll execution processes are effectively integrated into operational workflows.
• Serve as a key point of coordination for internal teams and external stakeholders on country payroll matters.
• Identify and resolve payroll discrepancies, operational risks, or compliance issues, exercising sound judgment when escalating complex matters.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of payroll operational processes, identifying opportunities to streamline workflows and improve operational transparency.
• Support the development and maintenance of payroll documentation and operational knowledge to ensure processes remain clear, scalable, and aligned with internal governance requirements.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to support system enhancements, statutory updates, and operational improvements impacting payroll.
• Contribute to the adoption of automation and AI-enabled tools that improve payroll operational efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Participate in testing activities related to payroll system developments, enhancements, and process improvements to ensure operational readiness.

Practicals

• You'll report to: Manager, Payroll
• Team: Payroll Operations
• Location: For this position we welcome everyone to apply, but we will prioritize applications from the following locations as we encourage our teams to diversify; Ukraine
• Start date: As soon as possible

Application process

1. Interview with recruiter
2. Interview with future manager
3. Interview with Senior Manager
4. Bar Raiser Interview
5. Prior employment verification check