(Senior) Payroll Specialist (m/f/d)

Job Description Apply now Job Title: (Senior) Payroll Specialist (m/f/d) Posting Start Date: 6/11/26 Job Description: It’s Never Been More Exciting to Work at Vistra At Vistra, progress is our purpose. We believe our clients have the potential to change the world and make a significant contribution to global progress. We help our clients achieve progress without obstacles. But true progress only happens when people come together and take action. That’s why we are committed to creating an environment where our employees can do exactly that. The Vistra Group is one of the top 3 global service providers in the Corporate, Private Equity, Real Estate, Capital Markets, and Private Wealth sectors, with over 9,500 employees across more than 50 countries. In Germany, we are located in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Munich with around 100 employees. We support our international clients in areas such as financial and payroll accounting, tax returns, reporting and annual financial statements, fund administration, entity formation and management, as well as payroll services. Our tailored solutions enable financial service providers, multinational corporations, mid-sized companies, and scale-ups to focus on their core competencies. We serve approximately 20% of Fortune 500 companies and 60% of the world’s 300 largest private equity firms. We are offering you an exciting opportunity to join our team as a (Senior) Payroll Specialist (m/f/d) . This permanent part-time position (24 hours per week) is based at our Cologne office, with a hybrid working model offering a combination of office and remote work. Your Responsibilities: Preparation of monthly payroll for an assigned client portfolio in compliance with all labor, social security, and tax regulations using the DATEV "Lohn & Gehalt" software Advising and supporting your own client base on tax and social security matters in both German and English Maintenance and updating of employee master data, entry of all transaction data, and handling employee onboarding and offboarding Acting as a point of contact for social security institutions, government offices, health insurance providers, managers, and colleagues Handling of certification processes and all necessary notifications to authorities, health insurance providers, and government agencies Preparation of all notifications and applications related to maternity leave, wage garnishments, company pension schemes, and other special topics such as disability contributions Monthly preparation of reports and evaluations using DATEV reports, DATEV Data Analysis System, OsC, DATEV Employee Online, and Excel Transfer and takeover of client master data in DATEV, including the creation of all relevant notifications to professional associations, social security agencies, and tax offices Manual preparation of income tax statements and annual reports for accident insurance Preparation and support of clients during audits by the German pension insurance (DRV) and tax authorities Your Profile: Successfully completed studies or vocational training as a tax clerk (m/f/d) or a similarly qualifying education Experience in payroll and familiarity with DATEV "Lohn & Gehalt" is an advantage Hands-on mentality and ability to work in a team Independent and precise working style Excellent written and spoken German and English skills Open to new technologies and automation processes Strong communication skills Our Offer: Attractive salary and a performance-based compensation model Modern working models (hybrid work, flexible hours, workation, etc.) Benefits such as: Home office allowance Discounts from well-known brands and providers JobRad (E-bike leasing) Lunchit (lunch subsidy) Urban Sports Club membership Recreation allowance Health budget Company pension plan contributions Flat hierarchies in a highly professional work environment Open-door policy and first-name culture Exciting projects in international teams Young and motivated team