Global Payroll Analyst

✨ One platform, a whole world of opportunity The best jobs have always clustered in a handful of the world's wealthiest cities. But talent is everywhere. Oyster set out to close that gap - building a global employment platform that lets companies hire, pay, and care for brilliant people anywhere. We're proof that a high-performing culture doesn't need an office. Distributed across 60+ countries since 2020, we've built something the industry keeps noticing: Ranked #10 of 250 on TIME and Statista's 2026 list of America's Top WorkTech Companies Named one of America's Greatest Startup Workplaces 2026 by Newsweek A G2 Spring 2026 Leader across Employer of Record, Global Employment, Multi-country Payroll, and HR Compliance The only B Corp-certified global employment platform ~ independently verified since 2023 Two of those rankings measured our business impact from the outside. One measured how our own people feel about working here. They landed in the same place ~ because at Oyster, culture and performance aren't separate conversations. They're the same one. And we're just getting started. If you want to do the best work of your career alongside people who care as much as you do, we'd love for you to apply. 👩‍💻 The Role Location: While this position is posted in a specific location, all of Oyster’s positions are fully remote and you can work from home. Forever. To create the best experience for our new hire this role does require that you are based within EMEA. Contract: 9-month fixed-term contract (FTC) The Global Payroll Analyst is a 9-month fixed-term contract (FTC) role responsible for optimizing global payroll processes and analyzing payroll data to support accurate, timely, and compliant operations. As part of the Global Payroll team, this person will identify discrepancies and trends, support payroll processing and audits, improve controls and workflows, and translate complex data into actionable recommendations. The role works closely with external providers and partners across payroll operations, finance, people, and process excellence. Key Responsibilities: Collect, analyze, and interpret multi-country payroll data to support accurate processing, reporting, and decision-making. Validate payroll inputs and outputs; identify and resolve discrepancies involving employee records, benefits, taxes, deductions, and payments. Support payroll processing and help ensure country-level payroll and tax compliance. Conduct regular payroll audits and reconcile payroll records with general-ledger accounts. Investigate trends and root causes, then recommend practical improvements to accuracy, efficiency, controls, and compliance. Use payroll systems, HR systems, spreadsheets, and data-transformation tools to improve reporting and workflows. Coordinate payroll activity and data exchange with external vendors and cross-functional partners. Respond to payroll-related questions professionally and resolve issues with appropriate urgency. Maintain current knowledge of payroll regulations and industry practices, translating changes into operational updates. Strengthen documentation, controls, and team practices so improvements are repeatable and scalable. Core Requirements: 3+ years of experience in payroll analysis or related payroll/finance roles. Hands-on multi-country payroll experience and a strong understanding of payroll tax and compliance requirements. Demonstrated experience analyzing large datasets, investigating discrepancies, and producing actionable insights. Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills, including lookups, pivot tables, and efficient data manipulation. Experience with payroll software, accounting concepts, and basic data-transformation tooling. High attention to detail and a strong control mindset, especially in audits and reconciliations. Sound problem-solving and judgment under time-sensitive conditions. Clear written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders. Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across functions and with external providers. Bonus Experience : Payroll exposure across continental Europe, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Central and Eastern Europe, APAC, or South Africa. Experience coordinating local payroll providers or other third-party vendors. Payroll-to-general-ledger reconciliation or broader accounting experience. Experience standardizing outputs from different systems into consistent templates such as CSV files. Experience improving or automating payroll analytics, reconciliation, reporting, or data-transformation workflows. This might not be right for you if... You prefer narrowly defined processing tasks and do not enjoy analyzing messy data or investigating root causes. You need frequent direction for familiar work rather than independently planning and executing within a team context. You are uncomfortable working across countries, vendors, systems, and evolving compliance requirements. You do not enjoy documenting processes, im