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Job Title:  German Payroll Specialist (SAP)

Location: 

Chennai, IN

Role Summary

Location: Chennai & Pune 

Work Location: 5 days at office 

Working Hours: [11:30 to 21:00] IST, aligned to Central European working hours 

 

Every month, thousands of employees at German companies are paid correctly because a Zalaris specialist in India got the data, the schema and the deadline right. We are growing our German payroll portfolio and are looking for an experienced SAP payroll professional who speaks German, owns a client portfolio end to end, and wants to shape how AI-assisted payroll operations are run. If you are tired of being a ticket queue and want to be the person clients ask for by name, read on. 

You will be the named contact for a portfolio of [3 to 5] German clients, run their monthly SAP payroll from input to release, act as the German payroll subject-matter reference for the team, and contribute to our operating model. Success in the first 12 months: your portfolio runs with no escalations, your clients rate you 4.5 or higher out of 5, and at least one of your own checks has been automated. 

Your Responsibilities

  • Manage end-to-end monthly SAP payroll for 3–5 German clients, ensuring timely processing and over 99.5% accuracy.

  • Handle German-specific payroll elements, including Sachbezüge, bAV, Pfändungen, mini/midi jobs and Kurzarbeitergeld.

  • Manage year-end activities, statutory notifications, tax updates and UV-Meldungen.

  • Maintain accurate employee, tax, pension and absence records in SAP HCM and SuccessFactors.

  • Ensure compliance with German payroll regulations (Lohnsteuer, Sozialversicherung, DEÜV, ELStAM).

  • Manage statutory filings via SAP B2A and electronic sick-note (eAU) processes.

  • Prepare and submit statutory certificates, including Lohnsteuerbescheinigung (ELSTER), Arbeitsbescheinigung (BEA), EEL and other employment/income certificates.

  • Ensure accuracy, timely submission and proper digital documentation.

  • Act as the main client contact in German and English, resolving queries through C4C and approved communication channels within agreed SLAs.

  • Manage complex payroll issues through to resolution.

  • Prepare payroll reports, reconciliations, audit documentation and employment documents.

  • Maintain accurate digital records.

  • Serve as a German Payroll SME, reviewing payroll runs, supporting colleagues and maintaining the knowledge base.

  • Identify automation opportunities and support AI-driven payroll improvements within our NextGen operating model.

Your Experience and Skills

Must have

  • Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Commerce, HR or a related field.

  • 6–8 years of total experience, including 4+ years of hands-on SAP HCM Payroll (PY), covering schemas, wage types, retro calculations, reconciliations and B2A reporting.

  • German B2 or above (spoken and written), with the opportunity to develop towards C1.

  • Strong knowledge of German payroll legislation and statutory compliance (Lohnsteuer, Sozialversicherung, DEÜV, ELStAM, EStG, SGB IV and relevant labour laws).

  • Fluency in English and confidence in managing German-speaking clients.

  • Strong Excel skills, attention to detail and accuracy.

Nice to have

  • Experience with SuccessFactors EC/ECP.

  • Payroll experience across other EMEA countries or shared services.

  • Familiarity with SAP C4C or similar ticketing systems.

  • Exposure to Power BI, Power Automate or Python.

What we offer

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