Senior Master Data and Payroll Specialist

Senior Master Data and Payroll Specialist 
Permanent 
Vilnius

Do you thrive in a role that combines payroll, people data, and process improvement? 
Can you turn complexity into efficient, compliant, and scalable solutions? 
Are you ready to contribute to digitalization, automation, and continuous improvement across a global organization? If you're ready to create meaningful changes, this opportunity is for you! 
  
About the Team

COWI's Global Payroll and People Master Data team is responsible for payroll operations for Denmark, COWI's largest entity, while supporting payroll governance, compliance, master data management, and process excellence across the Group. 

Over the past several years, the team has been on a significant transformation journey, continuously professionalizing, standardizing, digitalizing, and optimizing payroll and people data processes. We are known for delivering stable, high-quality operations while simultaneously driving improvements, system enhancements, compliance initiatives, and global projects. 

Join our Master Data & Payroll Team in Vilnius 

We are looking for a colleague who is motivated to contribute to both operational excellence and continuous improvement. This specialist role combines payroll and people master data operations with process optimization, compliance, system support, digitalization, and project work. 

Approximately 50% of the role focuses on payroll, people master data, and related controls, while the remainder is dedicated to process improvements, automation, compliance, system support, and implementation initiatives. 

You will occasionally support Danish payroll operations while collaborating across countries and functions to ensure efficient day-to-day delivery and streamline payroll and people data processes across the organization. 

To succeed, you should enjoy understanding end-to-end processes and identifying opportunities to improve, simplify, standardize, and enhance them. You thrive in a structured, collaborative environment and can balance attention to detail with a broader view of systems, data, compliance, and process performance. 

On a day-to-day basis, you will be responsible for: 

• Managing payroll and people data, and related processes while ensuring compliance with local legislation, governance requirements, and audit standards.  
• Maintaining accurate and high-quality people master data to support effective workforce management and reporting.  
• Managing process optimization, standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives across payroll and people operations.  
• Supporting digitalization, automation, and system-related projects, including payroll, compliance, and HR data initiatives.  
• Contributing to global time registration programs and other cross-functional people operations projects and rollouts.  
• Delivering analysis and operational support to HR, Finance, leaders, and employees while collaborating with stakeholders across multiple countries to implement best practices. 

Your skills. Our team. Together we design the future 
Your skills are the key to your growth. Working across borders and disciplines, we share knowledge and build positive relationships with colleagues and customers. You bring your knowledge and get to learn from the best. 
To thrive in this position, we believe that you have good analytical skills, a structured work approach and can develop practical solutions. 

Furthermore, you should have: 

• A degree within Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a similar discipline with minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience. 
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and process improvement capabilities, with experience working with data to drive operational excellence.  
• Solid understanding of accounting principles, financial processes, governance, and compliance requirements, with the ability to interpret legislation, regulations, and business needs.  
• Strong system skills and affinity for technology, including experience with HR, payroll, finance, or reporting systems; knowledge of SAP HCM, Maconomy, Power BI, ServiceNow, or similar tools is an advantage.  
• Effective communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions, departments, and international teams.  
• A detail-oriented, adaptable, and collaborative approach combined with fluency in English and a willingness to learn new technologies. 

A place to work and so much more 
At COWI, we work together with our customers to shape a sustainable and liveable world. We do it by applying our knowledge and curiosity – and sometimes even our courage – to create the solutions the world needs today to enable a better tomorrow. We support our customers’ transition towards increased sustainability. We strive to lead by example by embedding environmental management, social responsibility and good governance into our business practices and the options we provide to our customers.     

We value differences and development and cultivate an environment of belonging and having fun. Because that is what brings out the best in you, at work and at home.    

With offices primarily located in the Nordic region, the UK, North America and India, we are currently more than 7,500 people who bring their expertise in engineering, architecture, energy and environment into play. 

What we also offer: 

• Private health insurance after the probation period 
• Accident insurance from the first day of employment 
• 1 extra day off after your birthday 
• Hybrid working conditions 
• Other benefits, such as: personalized development plans and online trainings, new and modern office space, various COWI partners discounts and offers, social initiatives, and corporate events 

Salary for this position ranges from 3080 – 4280 EUR before taxes. We believe in your professional capability therefore the final offer will be based on your competencies and experience. 
  
Got more questions? 
If you have any unanswered questions about the role or what we have to offer, please reach out to VP, Head of Payroll, People Master Data Pernille Lading Hedberg at plhe@cowi.com.  

Get to know us even better at our website, www.cowi.com, where you can learn more about our projects, our strategy, what we want to do and what life is like at COWI. 
  
Equal - opportunity employer

COWI provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 

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