Senior Payroll Specialist (Switzerland, EU&I)

Idorsia Ltd is reaching out for more – We have more ideas, we see more opportunities and we want to help more patients. In order to achieve this, we will develop Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong scientific core.

Headquartered near Basel, Switzerland – a European biotech-hub – Idorsia is specialized in the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecules to transform the horizon of therapeutic options. Idorsia has a 25-year heritage of drug discovery, a broad portfolio of innovative drugs in the pipeline, an experienced team of professionals covering all disciplines from bench to bedside, and commercial operations in Europe and North America – the ideal constellation for bringing innovative medicines to patients.

Idorsia was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017 and has over 750 highly qualified specialists dedicated to realizing our ambitious targets.

We are looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist (Switzerland, EU&I) to join our team!

The main focus of this role is to be responsible for the full administration of payroll in Europe and Canada (EU&I), working closely with external payroll providers and local Finance teams. The role has a strong focus on payroll review and validation, payroll accounting, account reconciliations, while also acting as a backup for review of the Swiss in-house payroll. 

This is a hands-on senior specialist role for someone who combines strong payroll expertise with solid payroll accounting knowledge and enjoys working in an international environment.

Job Responsibilities 

• Manage and coordinate payroll activities for assigned markets, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant payroll delivery in collaboration with external payroll providers
• Prepare and provide accurate and timely payroll input to external payroll providers and review and validate monthly payroll outputs for assigned markets
• Conduct monthly in-depth payroll reviews and ensure all assigned payrolls are processed timely and accurately in-house at HQ and by the providers.
• Perform invoice validation and payment tracking for assigned payroll providers and/or local affiliates, as applicable.
• Perform monthly payroll journal and account reconciliation (Balance Sheet and P&L), including additional postings following alignment with Local Finance team
• Act as the first point of contact for employees’ payroll-related queries and collaborate closely with HR and Finance to resolve payroll matters.
• Ensure reporting alignment with Finance, including payroll forecasts
• Prepare and review monthly accruals (including holiday, bonus, flextime etc.)
• Prepare payroll-related audit documentation and provide support for internal and external audits and local statutory requirements.
• Support payroll implementations and transitions for new countries, legal entities, payroll providers and system changes.
• Drive continuous improvement of payroll processes, controls, and documentation and proactively identify opportunities for standardization, automation and increased efficiency.
• Perform and coordinate year-end tasks including tax certificates, attachments/supplements and statutory year-end declarations to authorities for the markets in scope. 

Candidate’s Requirements  

• Minimum 5 years of relevant payroll experience, preferably within a multi-country or international payroll environment, with strong exposure to EU&I and Swiss payroll
• Strong expertise in payroll accounting, including GL postings, accruals, balance sheet and P&L account reconciliations and variance analysis (mandatory)
• Good understanding of payroll-related tax regulations, social security systems and benefits across EU&I and Switzerland
• Proven hands-on experience in payroll review, validation, and collaboration with external payroll providers
• Advanced Excel skills; SAP Payroll or similar systems are an advantage
• Good understanding of end-to-end payroll processes, including interfaces and controls and Finance integration
• Strong analytical and structured mindset with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Proactive, pragmatic, solution- and customer-oriented approach with a strong sense of ownership.
• Ability to independently manage and coordinate multiple providers, deadlines, requests and projects simultaneously in a complex international environment
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience in payroll process design and continuous improvement is an advantage.
• Fluency in English; German and additional languages would be an asset.

What Idorsia offers

• A collaborative and solution-oriented environment where you can take ownership and make an impact
• An innovative and open culture in a truly multicultural and international environment
• A competitive salary and attractive social benefits
• Home Office up to 2 days per week