Payroll Manager EMEA

We are Lightsource bp – and we’re on a mission to become a global leader in onshore renewables, anchored by our proven track record in solar development.

For over a decade we’ve been actively working to diversify the way our world is powered with sustainable and responsible renewable power. We work to safely deliver affordable, reliable, large-scale onshore renewable and energy storage solutions to help the world decarbonise.

Our growing business is constantly innovating and investing to help drive the energy transition. Our people and projects are focused on supporting long-term sustainable growth and energy security.

Lightsource bp operates with five core values: Safety, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability, and Drive.

We seek to attract and hire individuals who share our commitment to creating a safe workplace, uphold the highest standards of integrity, and demonstrate respect for colleagues, communities, and the environment. Our recruitment process promotes sustainability by valuing long-term growth and responsible practices, while seeking candidates with the drive to innovate and lead in the global energy transition.

Together, these values shape how we engage, assess, and welcome talent to join us in delivering transformational solar power solutions worldwide. 

Lightsource bp was fully acquired by bp in 2024.

What you’ll do (the role)

Summary

We're seeking an experienced payroll professional to own payroll operations across our European region, ensuring 100% accuracy and timeliness while driving meaningful transformation. This is a genuine opportunity to combine core operational delivery with the autonomy to modernise processes, improve service delivery, and build strategic partnerships with our payroll vendors, all supported by a highly respected P&C operations team.

If you're motivated by continuous improvement, take pride in operational excellence, and want to lead payroll as a strategic function, this role offers real scope and impact.

Responsibilities of the Role

Payroll Operations

• Overseeing payroll operations for all European countries where we operate, ensuring that all employees are paid accurately and on time
• Developing and implement payroll policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations
• Data integrity and accuracy in payroll systems, implementing appropriate audit controls and ensuring these are consistently followed
• Documenting payroll processes and identifying and driving process improvements
• Driving process standardisation and continuous improvement across our payrolls
• Staying up-to-date with changes in local laws and regulations that affect payroll operations
• Managing the tax year end reporting, including the UK P11D process

Payroll Cycle Management           

• Collaborating with other departments to ensure that all payroll-related taxes, benefits, and deductions are accurately calculated and processed
• Maintaining accurate and complete payroll records, ensuring confidentiality and security of sensitive information
• Performing payroll accounting related duties including GL account reconciliations
• Providing regular payroll reports and analysis to senior management
• Dealing with payroll queries from various stakeholders

Tax Compliance & Reporting

• International Visitor Tracking & HMRC Reporting: Data consolidation from multiple sources (Melon, reception logs, flexible working requests), 90+ day threshold monitoring, PAYE obligation management
• PAYE Settlement Agreement (PSA) Management; Taxable benefit identification and coordination, Compliance review process with Finance system reference, HMRC submission process.

Payroll Vendor Management       

• develop strong and effective working relationships with our in-country payroll vendors, ensuring that service level agreements are fit for purpose and are met
• develop and implement payroll policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations
• review the current payroll providers and assess any new potential payroll providers on an as needed basis

Why you’ll make a great member of the team

Experience & Knowledge Required

• Experience: Minimum 7+ years of payroll management experience in a multi-country environment
• Strong understanding of EMEA payroll regulations and tax legislation across multiple countries
• Knowledge of payroll outsourcing models and vendor management
• Proficiency with payroll management systems and accounting software
• Advanced Excel skills for data analysis and reporting
• Demonstrated knowledge of statutory compliance, tax filings, and employment law across EMEA regions
• Experience in large, complex multinational organizations
• Experience with international assignee payroll and expatriate tax compliance

Personal Qualities and Skills

• Attention to Detail: Critical for accurate payroll processing and regulatory compliance
• Analytical & Problem-Solving: Ability to navigate complex multi-country payroll challenges
• Process Improvement Mindset: Drive to standardise, document, and continuously improve workflows
• Multi-Priority Management: Juggling complex payroll cycles, tax compliance, and vendor relationships with tight deadlines
• Independence & Team Orientation: Ability to work autonomously whilst being a collaborative team member
• Confidentiality & Security: Handling sensitive employee data responsibly

Qualifications

• CIPP/Europe (Certified International Professional in Payroll – Europe) or similar certification

Why you’ll want to work for us

Our company is a place where you can be yourself and grow, a place where your ideas and opinions matter.

Be you: We pride ourselves on being an inclusive community, where every individual is valued and treated with respect.

Be responsible: Our culture is driven by our core values – from operating safely to ensuring our projects are responsible. 

Be recognized: Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a variety of benefits including annual bonus, retention bank, health insurance, pension and other local benefits.

Be inspired: Beyond your day-to-day working life at Lightsource bp, there’s a variety of initiatives that will contribute to your own personal development. These include our charitable causes, supporting our solar honey project, or volunteering on our VIBES committee to name a few.

Our core values: Lightsource bp truly cares about creating a sustainable future through safe, responsible and meaningful low carbon energy projects. Our core values of Safety, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability and Drive are the guiding principles for everything we do. 

For further information on our career opportunities and life at Lightsource bp, please visit https://www.lightsourcebp.com/careers/

Why you’ll want to stay with us

At Lightsource bp, you’ll work within agile, cross-functional teams where diverse perspectives come together. Our culture embraces open knowledge sharing and collaboration, empowering you to learn from others and accelerate progress collectively.

Your career growth is our priority and a shared journey. We are committed to developing talent from within and prepare you for career advancement so you can shape a fulfilling and lasting journey here.

In today’s fast-changing world, a learning mindset is essential and therefore we proactively support upskilling to help you push your skill boundaries and stay ahead in your field, so you can not only keep pace with change but confidently shape a brighter future.