Payroll Specialist Lead - UAE

Position Overview

Remote is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Payroll Specialist Lead to join our global team. This role will focus on managing and processing payroll operations specifically for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). You will be instrumental in ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency in all payroll activities, while also collaborating with various internal departments and mentoring other payroll specialists. This is a fully remote position, offering the opportunity to work asynchronously with a globally distributed team.

About Remote

Remote is dedicated to solving the complexities of global employment for modern organizations. We empower businesses of all sizes to recruit, pay, and manage international teams seamlessly and compliantly. Our core values and future-focused work culture drive our team to tackle ambitious problems from anywhere in the world. We celebrate diversity and encourage every team member to bring their unique talents, experiences, and culture to help us build a best-in-class HR platform.

If you are energetic, curious, motivated, and ambitious, join us and help define the future of work!

What this job can offer you

This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of end-to-end payroll processing for the UAE. You will manage key stakeholder relationships across Finance, Product, and Engineering, drive process improvements, mentor payroll specialists, and contribute to the continuous optimization of payroll operations in a fast-paced, international environment.

Requirements

• In-house payroll management or equivalent experience leading the full end-to-end processing of UAE payroll.
• Hands-on experience with DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), MOL (Ministry of Labour), or WPS (Wages Protection System) workflows.
• Solid understanding of payroll best practices.
• Proficiency in software tools such as SAP, Excel, and Google Sheets.
• An analytical mindset with strong problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, international work environment with a passion for making an impact.
• A productivity-oriented approach, constantly seeking ways to improve and accelerate work.
• Understanding of and ability to work largely asynchronously.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Previous remote work experience is a plus.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a subject matter expert for UAE payroll.
• Manage existing relationships with key stakeholders within Payroll Implementation, Finance, Product, and Engineering.
• Process full end-to-end payroll in-house, including statutory filing, exception handling, approvals, payments, and compliance.
• Ensure payroll operations adhere strictly to DMCC, MOL, or WPS requirements, including all related reporting and processing standards.
• Maintain full data integrity and quality throughout the payroll process.
• Perform accounting and reconciliations.
• Focus on achieving Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Implement and improve payroll processes.
• Mentor and support other payroll specialists.
• Provide backup support to regional managers during their absences.

Practicals

• Reporting to: Manager, Global Payroll Operations
• Team: Payroll
• Location: EMEA
• Start Date: As soon as possible

Compensation Philosophy

Remote's Total Rewards philosophy ensures fair, unbiased compensation and competitive benefits across all our operating locations. We are committed to paying above in-location rates and do not support cheap-labor practices. We aim to inspire other companies to embrace global talent hiring and contribute to local economic growth.

Our salary bands are intentionally wide to accommodate international operations and a globally distributed workforce. We utilize geo ranges to factor in geographic pay differentials, ensuring competitiveness in various markets while hiring globally.

• Base Salary Range: $33,300 to $74,850 USD (full-time position)

Note: Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Job titles may encompass multiple career levels.

Application Instructions

Apply now to define the future of work!