Senior Payroll Specialist Spain

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to elevate payroll accuracy and compliance so our teams can focus on delivering life-changing medicines? Do you thrive on turning complex legislation into clear, reliable outcomes that build trust across the business?

As Senior Payroll Specialist for Spain, you will be the linchpin ensuring timely, compliant, and precise payroll operations. Your work will power the effectiveness of our people, from local employees to expatriates, by delivering consistent payroll results and resolving queries with confidence. In a fast-paced, data-informed environment, you will connect operational excellence to business impact—so every colleague can do their best work for patients.

You will collaborate closely with external payroll providers, Global Mobility and tax advisers, taking ownership of Spanish payroll processes end to end. From stock plan adjustments to statutory payments, your judgment and attention to detail will safeguard compliance, strengthen control, and improve the experience for our employees.

Accountabilities:

• Monthly Payroll Processing: Own the end-to-end processing of monthly payrolls aligned to the payroll cycle, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

• Provider Instruction and Oversight: Prepare and deliver clear monthly payroll instructions to external payroll providers; monitor outputs and validate results.

• Compliance with Spanish Legislation: Ensure all stock plan adjustments and payroll elements are processed correctly under Spanish law.

• Expatriate Payroll: Manage payroll for expatriate employees; liaise with Global Mobility and tax advisers to secure compliant, consistent outcomes.

• Statutory Payments Coordination: Coordinate taxes, social charges, pensions, and insurance payments with precise reconciliation and on-time remittance.

• Stakeholder Support: Respond to HR and employee queries regarding supported payrolls; provide clear guidance and rapid issue resolution.

• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen controls, and enhance data quality, progressing from reliable delivery to measurable efficiency gains that benefit the wider business.

Essential Skills/Experience: 

• Proven track record in processing payroll accordingly with the Spanish labour regulations. 

• Good understanding of European-specific payroll regulations, particularly Spanish payroll systems. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English at C1/C2 level; proficiency in Spanish is important, at a B2/C1 level. 

• Ability to prioritize and handle a high volume of employee queries. 

• Strong attention to detail and analytical ability. 

• Clear, fast thinker who can translate business needs into pragmatic solutions and implement them. 

• Positive attitude and excellent interpersonal skills. 

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to work independently and perform well under pressure with tight deadlines. 

• Experience with time and attendance systems. 

• Good knowledge of accounting principles and experience with expatriates. 

• Proficiency in MS Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.). 

• Outstanding attention to detail. 

Desirable Skills/Experience: 

• Experience with Workday and ServiceNow. 

• Understanding of Spanish payroll legislation. 

• Payroll-related certifications. 

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience is a plus. 

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At AstraZeneca, your payroll expertise fuels a mission with real-world impact. You will join a collaborative, learning-focused environment where bold ideas move quickly from discussion to action, and