Role Summary
The Payroll Specialist (IC2), based in the UAE, is responsible for ensuring accurate, timely and compliant payroll processing for Greece (primary market) and for supporting payroll operations in Jordan, Iraq and the UAE. This role covers the full payroll cycle: auditing employee records, maintaining payroll data integrity, calculating and validating payroll, ensuring adherence to Labor, tax, and social security laws, and supporting continuous improvement in payroll processes and reporting. Deep working knowledge of Greek payroll is required; for the other countries the specialist must know how to process payroll using local rules and guidance from local advisors, without needing to be a full local expert.
What’s On Your Plate?
- Employee Data Audit: Review and verify all newly onboarded and status-changed employees in the payroll system (including AMKA, AFM tax number and bank details) to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
- Master Data Integrity: Audit and maintain employee master data to ensure accuracy in payroll details, personal information, bank accounts, and finance dimensions.
- Compliance Management: Ensure payroll processing aligns with Greek Labor Law, Income Tax (AADE) and Social Security (e-EFKA) regulations, and with the applicable Labor, tax and social security requirements in Jordan, Iraq and the UAE, as well as company policies. Implement any regulatory or policy changes (for example the annual e-EFKA ceiling, tax scale and minimum wage updates) in coordination with technical, functional, People Operations, Legal teams and local advisors.
- Statutory Filings (Greece): Prepare and coordinate the monthly e-EFKA (APD) declaration and payment, withholding tax payment, ERGANI II notifications and annual earnings certificates, working with the local payroll provider or accountant where applicable.
- Local Coordination: Work with Greek HR, local advisors and authorities, and with the local teams in Jordan, Iraq and the UAE, from the UAE, ensuring payroll deadlines, SLAs and legal requirements in each country are met.
- Leave Administration: Review and post leave transactions (annual, sick, maternity and other statutory leave under Greek rules) accurately in the payroll system in coordination with HR.
- End of Service (EOS): Maintain and update end-of-service and severance records in accordance with company policy and Greek legal requirements.
- Payroll Processing: Review and validate all payroll transactions (including off-cycle and regular runs, and the Greek 14-salary cycle: Christmas bonus, Easter bonus and holiday allowance) processed by the team for accuracy and compliance.
- End-to-End Payroll Cycle: Collect and validate monthly inputs (attendance, overtime, allowances, deductions, joiners, leavers), calculate gross-to-net pay, run variance analysis, review the payroll register and obtain approvals before payment.
- Statutory Deductions & Remittances: Calculate and prepare social security and income tax deductions and remittances for each country, and maintain a payroll compliance calendar with filing and payment deadlines.
- Multi-Country Payroll Support: Process payroll for Jordan, Iraq and the UAE following documented local procedures (for example the UAE Wage Protection System file and gratuity rules), and escalate complex local legal questions to local advisors or the Payroll Manager.
- Payslips & Employee Queries: Prepare and distribute payslips, and resolve employee and HR payroll queries within agreed SLAs.
- Final Settlements: Calculate final settlements for leavers (Greek notice and severance, and end-of-service or gratuity entitlements in the other countries) and ensure correct tax and insurance treatment.
- Month-End & Year-End Close: Follow the payroll closing checklist, complete reconciliations, issue year-end employee certificates and statutory reports, and keep an audit trail.
- Payments Management: Process off-cycle payroll payments through banking channels in line with agreed service level agreements (SLAs).
- Payroll Review: Audit payroll sheets and reports to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
- Bank Uploads: Upload finalized payroll files to the bank platform for payment release following necessary approvals.
- General Ledger Reconciliation: Reconcile payroll provision accounts monthly, identify variances, and make necessary adjustments.
- Posting and Reporting: Post monthly payroll and leave provision entries in the payroll module.
- MIS & Analytics: Prepare and deliver monthly payroll reports (in EUR and local currencies), headcount movement analyses, and other required management information (MIS).
- System Proficiency: Experienced on Microsoft Dynamics for payroll processing, reporting, and reconciliation activities, ensuring data accuracy and system compliance.
- Audit Readiness: Support internal and external payroll audits by ensuring complete documentation, process transparency, and timely response to audit queries.
- Process Improvement: Identify opportunities for payroll process enhancements and report recommendations to the supervisor for implementation.
What Did We Order?
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years of payroll experience, including hands-on Greek payroll, preferably within a multinational or regional organization.
- Working knowledge of how payroll is processed in MENA countries such as Jordan, Iraq and the UAE (statutory deductions, local calendars and currencies), or the ability to learn quickly. Full expertise in each country is not required.
- UAE-based professional and native-level Greek speaker (fluent Greek and English, written and spoken), eligible to work in the UAE.
- Strong understanding of Greek labor law, income tax, and social security (e-EFKA) regulations, with awareness of GDPR requirements for payroll data.
- Working knowledge of ERP and payroll systems (Microsoft Dynamics and Workday).
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel and payroll reporting tools.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and organizational skills.
- High level of accuracy, confidentiality, and attention to detail.