Overview
Senior Payroll Specialist
LATAM Remote/Panama/Colombia
Emmes Group: Building a better future for us all.
Emmes Group is transforming the future of clinical research, bringing the promise of new medical discovery closer within reach for patients. Emmes Group was founded as Emmes more than 47 years ago, becoming one of the primary clinical research providers to the US government before expanding into public-private partnerships and commercial biopharma. Emmes has built industry leading capabilities in cell and gene therapy, vaccines and infectious diseases, ophthalmology, rare diseases, and neuroscience.
We believe the work we do will have a direct impact on patients’ lives and act accordingly. We strive to build a collaborative culture at the intersection of being a performance and people driven company. We’re looking for talented professionals eager to help advance clinical research as we work to embed innovation into the fabric of our company. If you share our motivations and passion in research, come join us!
Primary Purpose
The Sr. Payroll Specialist for the LATAM region is responsible for overseeing and managing all payroll operations across multiple countries. This role ensures compliance with local labor laws, tax regulations, and company policies while delivering accurate and timely payroll services. The Payroll Manager will act as a subject matter expert for regional payroll processes and collaborate closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors to maintain operational excellence.
Responsibilities
- Manage end-to-end payroll processing in ADP Celergo for Colombia and Panama ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
- Process contractor payroll in Deel for multiple countries.
- Maintain compliance with local tax laws, social security regulations, and statutory reporting requirements.
- Calculate and process additional allowances/ deductions: (Flexible Packages, Connectivity, attendance, termination Liquidations, etc.)
- Monitor legislative changes and implement necessary updates to payroll processes and systems.
- Ensure GDPR compliance and maintain confidentiality of employee data.
- Maintain accurate payroll records and employee data in HRIS/payroll system (ADP Workforce Now & Celergo).
- Prepare and submit monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll reports to internal/external stakeholders and government authorities. (CSS – SIPE, DGI, Pluxee, Mi Planilla, DIAN, EPS, SOI, Aportes de Linar, Pensión funds, etc.)
- Oversee payroll audits and implement process improvements for accuracy and efficiency.
- Act as the primary point of contact for payroll-related inquiries from employees and management.
- Collaborate with HR and Finance teams on compensation changes, terminations, and new hires.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, HR, or related field; professional payroll certification preferred.
- Minimum 3-5 years of payroll experience covering multiple countries.
- Strong knowledge of LATAM payroll regulations and tax laws.
- Experience with global payroll systems (e.g., Workday, SAP, ADP) and HRIS integrations.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work in a multicultural environment.
- Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.
- Initiative-taker who takes direction well but can also work independently.
- Ability to manage high volume workload with many interruptions, maintaining a pleasant demeanor.
- Microsoft 365 knowledge. Ability to use excel for VLOOKUPS, HLOOKUPDA, Pivots and formulas.
- Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and integrity.
- Elevated level of accuracy and efficiency in processing payroll under pressure.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines in a challenging environment.
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