Lead Payroll Services Consultant (German Payroll)

Why UKG:

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That's what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you'll get flexibility that's real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters-and so do you.

Overview
The Lead Payroll Services Consultant - Germany plays a critical role in supporting UKG's German payroll operations by acting as a subject matter expert (SME) for German payroll onboarding, processing, compliance, and enablement.
This role is responsible for providing deep hands-on & end-to-end expertise across the full payroll lifecycle-from onboarding new German payrolls to supporting live payroll operations-while also enabling the successful setup and scaling of a remote in-house payroll processing team. Although not a direct people manager, the role has a high degree of influence and accountability, serving as a trusted advisor, trainer, and escalation point for German payroll matters. This is a high-impact, senior role designed to operate at both strategic and execution levels.
Operating with a strong understanding of German payroll legislation and multiple payroll engines, this position partners closely with Product team, Customer Success, Implementation, and Leadership teams to ensure accurate, compliant, and scalable payroll delivery.Key Responsibilities
German Payroll Operations & Expertise
• Act as the primary SME for German payroll, providing expert guidance across the end-to-end payroll lifecycle.
• Support onboarding of new German payrolls, including parallel runs, go-lives, and stabilization. Onboarding can be managed either through In-Country-Partner (ICP) model or In-House processed payrolls
• Provide ongoing expertise for live payroll processing, complex cases, escalations, year-enд activities, regulatory changes and audits.
• Resolve high-risk, escalated payroll issues with accuracy and authority.
• Interpret and translate legislative updates into practical payroll solutions and controls
• Ensure payroll processing aligns with German statutory, tax, and social security requirements.Payroll Engines Implementation and ongoing maintenance
• Support payrolthe setup, implementation, and operational readiness of new German payroll engines
• Collaborate with internal and external technical teams to resolve payroll system issues.Training & Capability Enablement
• Design, organize, and/or personally deliver German payroll training for payroll professionals.
• Support the setup and enablement of a Germany-focused payroll processing team based overseas, acting as the primary knowledge anchor.
• Develop and maintain training materials, documentation, and process guides.
• Deliver on-site training sessions when required; travel is expected.SME & Advisory Support
• Serve as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders on German payroll-related matters.
• Advise on payroll process design, risk mitigation, and operational readiness.Cross-Functional Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
• Partner with Payroll Operations, Customer Success, Implementation, Platform Support, and other stakeholders to ensure high-quality payroll delivery.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives focused on payroll accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.
• Influence decisions and outcomes through expertise and insight rather than formal authority.Qualifications
Required
• Extensive (5+ years) hands-on experience with German payroll, including end-to-end payroll processing.
• Proven experience onboarding and running multiple German payrolls.
• Experience implementing and getting operational German Payroll Engine.
• Experience working with different German payroll engines.