Payroll Centre Team Lead, HR Operations

Company Description

THE OECD – Who we are, what we do

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation comprised of 38 member countries, that works to build better policies for better lives. Our mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, we work on establishing evidence-based international standards, and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, we provide a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORATE (EXD)

The Executive Directorate (EXD) is the steward of OECD resources, on behalf of the Secretary-General. Our focus is on people and their wellbeing; the effective and efficient management of the budget; the safety and security of staff, Delegations, visitors, and of the OECD’s data; maintaining and sustaining physical and digital infrastructure; and enabling the convening power of the OECD through conferences, meetings and events, whether virtual, physical or hybrid. As well as providing corporate services, functions and management support to our staff and Members, we provide integrated, strategic and expert advice on corporate policies and management issues to the Secretary-General, to Council and to Standing Committees, to which we regularly report on corporate matters. We also provide risk management functions (for management areas under our purview). Ours is a fast-paced environment focused on delivering management excellence across all of our functions.

THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SERVICE (EXD/HRM)

Within the OECD’s Executive Directorate (EXD), the Human Resource Management Service (HRM) is responsible for providing stewardship of the Organisation’s human capital on behalf of the Secretary-General. Overseeing three divisions (HR Operations, the Client Services Group and the Talent Management and Analytics Group), EXD/HRM’s Head Office provides strategic HR direction, leadership in corporate and legal matters and oversight and co-ordination for the Organisation at large.

HRM/HRO is looking for a Payroll Centre Team Lead who will oversee an operational team responsible for the management of everyday payroll operations up to production of the payment files.

Job Description

THE POSITION

The selected candidate will report to the Head of the Staff and Technical Expertise Hub and will have an in depth knowledge of payroll operations.

Main Responsibilities

Team Lead and Guidance

• Support the Head of the Staff and Technical Expertise Hub in the management of the hub.
• Lead the Payroll Centre team responsible for payroll, as well as delivery of HR operational services, ensuring quality, timeliness and consistency.
• Provide advice and guidance, including to senior management, on a wide range of complex HR issues, in line with the Organisation's Staff Regulations and Rules and liaising with HRM Legal Advisors, as required.
• Identify and capitalise on business process improvement opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness, in accordance with the HR Strategy and work plan.
• Liaise and maintain effective working relations within HRM and with other partners to ensure a cohesive corporate approach, and champion best practices.
• Handle sensitive situations with tact and discretion, escalating to the Head of the Staff and Technical Expertise Hub when necessary.
• Contribute actively to further foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment and Organisational culture.

Project work and communication

• Participate and support the Head of the Staff and Technical Expertise Hub in HR reform projects related to payroll activities.
• Actively co-ordinate with relevant HRM teams to ensure that any policy and procedural changes are communicated in an inclusive and accessible manner.

Systems management

• Contribute to the management of the staff absence system
• Ensure that changes to the structure of the Directorates are implemented
• Contribute to the identification of problems and proposed possible improvements to related IT systems
• Carry out tests and help to validate changes to systems and new functions prior to implementation
• Check the pay of officials leaving the Organisation (annual leave, allowances, etc )
• Approve calculations of leaving allowances to be paid, depending on the different pension schemes and currency or review calculations made by the other members of the team
• Check the discharge with the various departments concerned before releasing the payments and ensure data consistency between the different systems while adhering to the payment calendar

Other responsibilities

• Calculate allowances payable in the event of a separation
• Provide high-quality customer service, in coordination with the relevant parties involved
• Contribute to other tasks falling under the Centre’s remit
• Replace the Head of the Staff and Technical Expertise Hub in their absence

Qualifications

Ideal Candidate Profile

Academic Background

• • A university degree in business, human resource management, administration, accounting, compensation & benefits or a closely related field.

Professional Background

• • At least five years of experience in payroll HR activity and advisory, preferably in an International Organisation, including experience leading a team.
  • Knowledge of HR payroll, rules and procedures of an international organization would be an advantage.
  • Experience supervising and leading a small team/unit is preferred.

Tools

• • Excellent knowledge and experience in the use of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).
  • Very good knowledge of human capital management (HCM) systems (e.ge. SAP HCM, SmartRecruiters) and/or the ability to learn new systems quickly.

Core Competencies

• • OECD staff are expected to demonstrate behaviours aligned to six core competencies which will be assessed as part of this hiring processes: Vision and Strategy (Level 1); Enable People (Level 2); Ethics and Integrity (Level 2); Collaboration and Horizontality (Level 2); Achieve Results (Level 2); Innovate and Embrace Change (Level 1).
  • There are three possible levels for each competency. The level for each competency is determined according to the specific needs of each job role and its associated grade.
  • To learn more about the definitions for each competency for levels 1-3, please refer to OECD Core Competencies.

Languages

• • Fluency in one of the two OECD official languages (English and French) and good knowledge of the other. Very good drafting skills in both languages is required.

Additional Information

Closing Date

• This vacancy should be filled as soon as possible, and applications should reach us no later 9 September 2026 at 23:59hrs (Paris time).

Contract Duration

• Open-ended appointment, with no foreseen end date.

Please note that our Rules and Regulations stipulate that the mandatory retirement age is 67.

What the OECD offers

• Monthly salary starts at 6 636.98 EUR, plus allowances based on eligibility, exempt of French income tax. Click here to visit our Salary and Allowances Calculator.
• Click here to consult the Staff Regulations applicable to officials of the OECD. Please note that from 1 July 2025, all Official appointments will be made under the OECD’s new contractual modalities.
• Click here to learn more about what we offer and why the OECD is a great place to work.
• Click here to browse our People Management Guidebook and learn more about all aspects relating to people at the OECD, our workplace environment and many other policies supporting staff in their daily life.
• Please note that the appointment may be made at one grade lower in the specified job family, based on the qualifications and professional experience of the selected applicant.
• This vacancy may be used to create a pool of candidates for comparable positions, both for open-ended and fixed-term functions.

Selection Process

The recruitment process may entail an aptitude test, including activities designed to evaluate cognitive abilities such as problem-solving and logical reasoning, as well as analytical thinking and transferable skills aligned with our Core Competencies Framework. Please refer to the aptitude test guidelines to help you prepare.

For further retained candidates, the selection process may include a video-recorded interview, written assessment and a panel interview.

We highly encourage candidates to monitor their inbox, including spam and junk folders, for updates regarding the application status.

The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes the applications of all qualified candidates [who are nationals of OECD member countries], irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.

The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal.