Payroll & Benefits Team Lead DACH

Syensqo is all about chemistry. We’re not just referring to chemical reactions here, but also to the magic that occurs when the brightest minds get to work together. This is where our true strength lies. In you. In your future colleagues and in all your differences. And of course, in your ideas to improve lives while preserving our planet’s beauty for the generations to come.

We are looking for

A Payroll & Benefits Team Leader (DACH) who will lead a team of two specialists and owns end-to-end Payroll & Benefits delivery across the DACH region. Ensuring accuracy, compliance, strong controls, and continuous improvement.

This hands-on role partners closely with the Regional Payroll Lead (EMEA & APAC), Global Payroll Experts, HR, Finance, HRIT, local stakeholders, and external payroll/time vendors, combining people leadership, operational ownership, and service management.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of two Payroll & Benefits Specialists.

• Own end-to-end Payroll & Benefits delivery, ensuring accurate, compliant, and on-time results.

• Manage the full payroll cycle, including calendars and cut-offs, input readiness, validation and approvals, and post-payroll reconciliations and controls.

• Ensure robust compliance and risk management, including access controls, audit support, and timely escalation of material issues.

• Lead issue resolution and root-cause analysis, driving corrective and preventive actions to prevent recurrence.

• Manage payroll and time vendors and drive continuous improvement and transformation through SLA/KPI management, ticket governance, and process simplification/automation.

You bring

• Minimum 2 years of people leadership experience in a deadline-driven, payroll-critical environment.

• Extensive knowledge of German payroll tax and social insurance regulations.

• Solid track record in preparing and processing payroll, backed by a completed commercial apprenticeship/degree or a relevant payroll qualification.

• Strong command of payroll governance to ensure accurate, audit-ready outcomes, including controls, compliance, reconciliations, and payroll accounting.

• Proven analytical problem-solver who can investigate payroll, HR, and Finance variances, perform root-cause analysis, document findings, and drive issues through resolution.

• Experience with SAP payroll solutions, and strong communication skills in both German and English.

You will get

• The German annual base salary range reasonably expected to be paid for this new hire is: € 80.320 to € 100.400. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, experience, qualification and internal equity and can ultimately be more or less than the posted salary range.

• 16, or more, weeks of maternity/paternity and co-parenting leave, according to local regulations.

• Free language courses (24 languages available)

• Additional local benefits

About us

• Syensqo is a science company developing groundbreaking solutions that enhance the way we live, work, travel and play. Inspired by the scientific councils which Ernest Solvay initiated in 1911, we bring great minds together to push the limits of science and innovation for the benefit of our customers, with a diverse, global team of more than 13,000 associates. Our solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices and health care applications. Our innovation power enables us to deliver on the ambition of a circular economy and explore breakthrough technologies that advance humanity.
• At Syensqo, we seek to promote unity and not uniformity. We value the diversity that individuals bring and we invite you to consider a future with us, regardless of background, age, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, ability or identity. We encourage individuals who may require any assistance or accommodations to let us know to ensure a seamless application experience. We are here to support you throughout the application journey and want to ensure all candidates are treated equally. If you are unsure whether you meet all the criteria or qualifications listed in the job description, we still encourage you to apply.