Global Payroll Operations Specialist, Germany

We are looking for an experienced and dedicated Payroll Specialist (m/f/d) to join our payroll team in Germany. In this role, you will independently manage and run payroll for a defined client portfolio and act as the primary point of contact for your clients. You will also partner cross-functionally with Product and Engineering teams to deliver a high-quality managed payroll service and contribute to the development of compliant and scalable global payroll processes.

What you will do

• Independent payroll processing: You run accurate and on-time payroll for your client portfolio in Germany, including all upstream and downstream activities.
• Client support: You are the central point of contact for your clients, both in our written ticketing system and in direct client calls.
• Advisory: You competently advise clients on questions relating to German labor, social security, and tax law, and find pragmatic, legally compliant solutions.
• Compliance checks: You carry out regular compliance reviews, identify risks early on, and ensure that all statutory requirements are met.
• System contribution: You actively contribute to the further development of our payroll system, share feedback from day-to-day operations, test new features, and help automate and improve processes.
• Global collaboration: You work closely with our international payroll teams and are willing to occasionally provide support outside standard German business hours.
  
  

What you will need

• Professional experience: 3–5 years of relevant experience in German payroll, ideally in a tax advisory, consulting, or multi-client environment.
• Subject expertise: In-depth understanding of German labor, social security, and tax law, as well as confident handling of related payroll topics.
• Client orientation: Strong service mindset and excellent communication skills; you are equally comfortable in direct client conversations and in written communication via ticketing systems.
• Independence: Structured, self-directed way of working and the ability to confidently manage multiple clients in parallel.
• System affinity: Strong affinity for payroll software and tools; you enjoy contributing to the further development of systems and processes.
• Languages: Business-fluent German and English skills for collaboration with international teams and customers.
• Flexibility: Willingness to occasionally be available outside of regular German business hours to support our internal stakeholders and customers.
• Experience with Google Suite or Microsoft Office, especially Docs/Sheets/Excel, for data analysis and task organisation; familiarity with Salesforce queues, JIRA, and Confluence a plus!

What We Offer

• A role with a high level of responsibility and significant scope to shape outcomes in a growing, international environment
• Direct influence on the further development of our payroll product and processes
• An experienced, collegial team with short decision-making paths
• Flexible working models and modern tools
• Attractive compensation package and learning & development opportunities

Additional Information

Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics. Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email [email protected].

Rippling highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. For office-based employees (employees who live within a 40-mile radius of a Rippling office), Rippling considers working in the office at least three days a week under current policy to be an essential function of the employee's role.