Key Skills

Job Description

About The Role In this role, you take charge of the entire payroll chain at large organisations that have outsourced their payroll to a BPO partner, or where multiple countries and systems come together. You are the linchpin between HR, Finance, IT, the payroll provider and the (local) payroll leads. You make sure risks are identified early and that the provider delivers what has been agreed. At the same time, you help build our growing Payroll Services team. Is this the next step you are looking for? Apply now Your role as Payroll Product Owner / Payroll Lead As Payroll Product Owner / Payroll Lead at Highberg, you own the payroll chain. Without a clear owner, issues fall between the cracks; you ensure that collective labour agreement (CAO) and legislative changes go live on time, that systems stay aligned and that payroll runs correctly every period. You work within Payroll Services, the Dutch-speaking payroll team of Highberg | Consultday. Your responsibilities include: Managing and prioritising the backlog: planning CAO, legislative and system changes, so that statutory changes go live on time. Vendor management: functionally directing the payroll provider and monitoring quality, delivery and service levels. Stakeholder management: keeping HR, Finance and country payroll leads informed about progress, the roadmap and risks. Chain management: ensuring that the HR system, payroll engine, local systems and Finance remain aligned. Implementing changes, from impact analysis and testing to go-live, with careful validation before production. Providing functional leadership to analysts or the payroll team on tickets, testing and functional analyses. Identifying risks early around year-end, CAO changes as of 1 January, the 13th-month run or the go-live of a new country. Contributing to the growth of Payroll Services through best practices, knowledge sharing and coaching colleagues. Who are you? You are a connector and orchestrator who keeps an overview of a chain of parties, countries and systems. You have an ownership mindset: you identify risks early and make sure agreements are honoured. You have a meticulous and pragmatic attitude: you validate before production and are not afraid to hold the provider and stakeholders to account. You are AI-literate and able to apply AI in a conscious, critical and responsible way to enhance your work. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to apply, even if you do not meet all of the criteria listed above. What are we asking? You hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree and have payroll expertise at the level of the Dutch PDL qualifications or hold a VPS degree You have at least eight years of relevant payroll experience, part of which was in a coordinating, lead or product owner role. You have experience directing a BPO partner or payroll provider. You have knowledge of product management and agile working (backlog, prioritisation, roadmap). Experience with payroll in an international or multi-country environment is a plus. You have strong consultancy and stakeholder management skills, and excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Dutch and English. What are we offering? Attractive and comprehensive employment conditions: a gross monthly salary of €6,000 to €8,000 (depending on experience), with variable compensation aligned with the responsibility and impact of your role, complemented by paid leave, mobility options and a pension scheme. The best of two worlds: the intellectual sharpness and quality of a high end consultancy firm, combined with the agility and engagement of an entrepreneurial organization. Responsibility, autonomy, and entrepreneurship: from the very start, you take ownership in projects and client work, with plenty of room to take initiative, supported by experienced colleagues. A structured development cycle with coaching from partners and development coaches, offering strong growth and career opportunities Collaborating in an accessible environment: you work in a setting where decision making is close to the action and ideas quickly gain traction. Flexible working with strong connection: hybrid working is possible, combined with regular moments where we come together for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and team activities such as inspiring sessions and the Highberg Festival. Apply now About The Culture Highberg is a European transformation consultancy. We support organizations in realizing their strategic ambitions by combining clear direction with execution. We believe sustainable change happens when deep expertise and human dynamics are in balance. That is why we work closely with our clients, not only as advisors, but as partners in realization. Our teams combine analytical depth with pragmatism and build solutions that not only work on paper, but above all in practice. Learn more about Highberg Want to know more? Would you like to learn more about this role or explore other opportunities within Highberg? Please contact the Recruitment Team via [email protected]. Over Highberg Highberg is ontstaan uit negen boutique adviesbureaus, elk met expertise in organisatorische, digitale en duurzaamheidstransformaties. We zijn er trots op een B Corp-gecertificeerd bedrijf te zijn, omdat we ernaar streven om zorg te dragen voor onze planeet, de maatschappij en onze medewerkers. Werken bij Highberg Bij Highberg bevorderen we een ondersteunende en samenwerkende cultuur. Deze cultuur is gebaseerd op onze drie kernwaarden: Be Committed, Be Better en Be You. In 'Be Committed' streven collega's onvermoeibaar naar een blijvende positieve impact op onze klanten, de maatschappij en het milieu. We kenmerken ons door onze ondernemersgeest en onze gezamenlijke inzet voor het algehele succes van het bedrijf. 'Be Better' draait om ons geloof in continu leren en verbeteren, en we bieden je mogelijkheden om te groeien en je te ontwikkelen, zowel persoonlijk als professioneel. We streven naar de hoogste kwaliteits- en professionaliteitsnormen in alles wat we doen. En tot slot, maar zeker niet minder belangrijk, gaat, 'Be You' over het aanmoedigen om jezelf volledig te zijn op je werk, plezier te hebben en diversiteit en inclusie te omarmen. Wij streven ernaar om een persoonlijke band op te bouwen met onze klanten en collega's, en zo langdurige, vertrouwensvolle relaties op te bouwen.

Core Responsibilities

Own and coordinate the end-to-end payroll chain, including prioritizing payroll changes, directing the provider, aligning systems and stakeholders, and ensuring accurate, timely payroll delivery. Lead change implementation and risk management, provide functional guidance to analysts or payroll colleagues, and help develop the Payroll Services team through best practices, knowledge sharing, and coaching.

Requirements

Requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree, Dutch payroll expertise at PDL level or a VPS qualification, and at least eight years of relevant payroll experience, including coordinating, lead, or product owner responsibilities. Candidates should have experience managing a payroll provider, knowledge of product management and agile practices, and strong consulting and stakeholder communication skills in Dutch and English; international payroll experience is an advantage.

Benefits

• Variable Compensation
• Paid Leave
• Mobility Options
• Pension Scheme
• Coaching
• Career Development Opportunities
• Hybrid Working