Sr. Manager, Payroll
GAQ128R86
Mission
Databricks is looking for a Senior Manager, Payroll to own end-to-end payroll delivery for the Europe region. This is a hands-on leadership role — you will run the operations, lead the team, own the compliance, and be the subject matter expert the business turns to when it matters.
You will sit within the Global Payroll function, reporting directly to the Director, Global Payroll Operations, contributing to global strategy, cross-regional alignment, and function-wide initiatives beyond your direct remit.
You will manage a team of two to five payroll professionals and be accountable for accurate, timely, and compliant payroll for a fast-scaling workforce.
This is not a coordinator role with a manager title. We need someone who has been in the engine room, knows what good looks like, and can build it here.
Individual will not be ‘back office’ this is a business facing role and enhancing employee experience and stakeholder management is key.
The impact you will have:
Payroll Operations
Own the full payroll cycle, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and a clean audit trail on every run
Manage the payroll calendar, cut-off deadlines, and coordination with HR and Finance to ensure data integrity from hire to final pay
Serve as the primary escalation point for payroll discrepancies, employee queries, and operational issues — resolving with speed and precision
Drive continuous improvement across payroll processes, reducing manual effort and increasing controls without sacrificing responsiveness
Drive high performance from payroll vendors.
Technology & Systems
Work with our Payroll GPO and Leadership team to build Data and AI enabled payroll operations
Identify opportunities to reduce manual reconciliation and improve data accuracy across the payroll tech stack
Tax Compliance
Good understanding of requirements outside the payslip (such as PSA and STBV in UK) and able to input and work with relevant teams to ensure compliance.
Equity & Supplemental Compensation
Manage payroll processing and tax withholding for RSU vesting events, including coordination with Stock Administration on vest schedules, sell-to-cover mechanics, and supplemental withholding rates
Partner with Legal and Tax on equity income sourcing and reporting obligations on equity-derived income
Reconcile equity payroll data to stock admin records each quarter with zero tolerance for mismatch
Team Leadership
Lead, develop, and performance-manage a team of payroll professionals — setting clear expectations, managing workload, and building capability
Expected to take a broader leadership role across the Global Payroll team as a senior leader within it.
Create a team culture where accuracy is non-negotiable, deadlines are owned not managed around, and problems surface early
Build redundancy and cross-training so the function is never single-threaded
Coach the team on technical depth — tax law, equity mechanics, compliance — so they grow into the next generation of payroll leaders
Controls, Audit & Governance
Design and maintain SOX-compliant payroll controls, including segregation of duties, approval workflows, and exception reporting
Lead payroll's response to internal and external audits — preparing documentation, managing timelines, and closing findings without repeat
Maintain payroll policy documentation and desktop procedures, updated with every legislative or system change
Produce monthly payroll metrics and variance analysis for Finance and HR leadership
What we look for:
8+ years of hands-on payroll experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing a team
Deep working knowledge of European Payrolls
Proven experience managing RSU and equity payroll — from vest event processing through reconciliation
Strong command of payroll reconciliation, general ledger mapping, and accrual processes
Experience leading teams of four or more people — you know how to delegate, develop, and hold people accountable
Excellent business stakeholder management skills - comms and employee experience focus