Senior Payroll Specialist, MEA

Job Summary

The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for delivering accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across the MEA region. This role focuses on end-to-end payroll coordination, payroll inputs, payroll validations, statutory deductions, vendor follow-up, controls, reporting, and issue resolution to ensure employees are paid correctly and on time.

The role acts as a payroll subject matter contact for employees, managers, HR Business Partners, Finance, vendors, and external stakeholders. It requires strong payroll governance, attention to detail, regional coordination, audit readiness, and continuous improvement mindset while ensuring compliance with local statutory requirements and internal payroll controls.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Management

• Manage and coordinate end-to-end payroll review and processing activities across the MEA region and Gulf countries, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery.
• Process, review, and validate payroll changes including compensation updates, promotions, new hires, leavers, deductions, one-time payments, allowances, statutory deductions, and tax-related payroll inputs.
• Calculate and process retroactive payments related to promotions and other payroll adjustments.
• Calculate and validate regional allowances, recurring payments, and country-specific payroll components in line with local requirements and company policy.
• Review and validate employee deductions, benefits-related deductions, and other country-specific payroll adjustments.
• Review and validate both employee and company pension fund contributions.
• Validate payroll input files for non-system, off-cycle, or late payroll inputs after cut-off, including overtime, sick leave adjustments, fleet-related deductions, installment deductions, leaver payments, and exceptional payments.
• Ensure payroll data, employee master data, and compensation changes are accurately reflected in Workday, payroll systems, and vendor files before payroll finalization.
• Manage payroll upload requests and mass payment files for bonuses, incentives, allowances, and other one-time payroll transactions.
• Perform payroll controls, reconciliations, variance checks, and validation reviews to ensure payroll accuracy, completeness, compliance, and audit readiness.
• Support payroll audits, statutory inspections, vendor reviews, payroll compliance checks, and documentation requests across the region.
• Track payroll issues, investigate root causes, coordinate corrective actions, and ensure timely follow-up through closure.
• Coordinate with local payroll vendors and internal stakeholders to confirm payroll calendars, cut-offs, funding timelines, statutory submissions, and payment approvals.

Payroll, Compensation, and Benefits Support

• Support annual compensation and merit review activities by validating payroll impacts, qualified earnings, retroactive adjustments, and payroll readiness.
• Support promotion and compensation cycles by calculating payroll impacts, validating effective dates, reviewing retroactive payments, and ensuring accurate payroll processing.
• Review payroll treatment for allowances, benefits, and employee entitlements, ensuring alignment with country rules and company policy.
• Coordinate with benefit owners and relevant internal teams to validate payroll-impacting changes before payroll closure.
• Administer payroll-related benefits and vendor processes, including pension or savings plan deductions, employer contributions, and related payment coordination where applicable.

Payroll Stakeholder and Vendor Support

• Provide high-quality payroll support to employees, managers, HR Business Partners, Finance, and vendors by resolving payroll queries accurately and within agreed service levels.
• Manage payroll cases through ServiceNow and provide clear, professional, and timely responses on salary payments, deductions, allowances, benefits, payslips, and payroll adjustments.
• Coordinate payroll communication with internal stakeholders and external vendors.
• Maintain and update the Trusted Source List and other payroll-related governance documents.
• Support payroll-related policy implementation, payroll process updates, and employee communication materials where required.

Payroll Systems, Compliance, and Reporting

• Create and track purchase requisitions and vendor payment requirements linked to payroll services and statutory or vendor-related payroll payments.
• Maintain regional payroll calendars, including payroll cut-offs, public holidays, funding dates, statutory submission deadlines, and payment timelines.
• Participate in root-cause analysis activities in collaboration with HRBPs when required.
• Prepare payroll reports, monthly reconciliations, variance analysis, headcount-related payroll reporting, and payroll governance dashboards as required.
• Ensure data integrity, compliance, and proper documentation across payroll processes, payroll controls, statutory submissions, and vendor interactions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Several years of experience in payroll administration, regional payroll operations, payroll governance, or a related role.
• Strong experience managing payroll operations across MEA, including payroll inputs, controls, vendor coordination, and statutory payroll requirements.
• Experience with Workday, SAP, and case management systems such as ServiceNow is preferred.
• Good understanding of payroll controls, statutory deductions, tax, social insurance, pension or savings plans, and regional payroll compliance requirements.
• Experience working with external payroll vendors and auditors is an advantage.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong knowledge of regional payroll processing, payroll controls, statutory deductions, and payroll compliance
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong analytical and numerical skills
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive employee data
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines
• Problem-solving and root-cause analysis capability
• Strong organizational and coordination skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and HR/payroll systems

Key Relationships

The role works closely with employees, managers, HR Business Partners, Finance teams, payroll vendors, benefits vendors, auditors, tax and social insurance contacts, and other external service providers across the MEA region and Gulf countries.

Success Measures:

Success in this role is measured by:

• Accurate and timely payroll delivery
• Compliance with internal controls and statutory requirements
• Strong payroll governance across MEA and Gulf countries
• High-quality employee and stakeholder support
• Timely resolution of payroll queries, payroll corrections, and vendor follow-ups
• Accurate maintenance of payroll data, employee master data, and payroll documentation
• Effective coordination with vendors and internal teams
• Strong audit readiness and documentation standards

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration, and always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. We’re on an exciting journey to pioneer the future of healthcare.

So, what’s next?

Are you already imagining yourself joining our team? Good, because we can’t wait to hear from you.

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.