Expatriate Payroll Senior Associate

Description

We are seeking an experienced Expatriate Payroll Senior Associate to support and manage global expatriate payroll and shadow payroll operations in our Houston, TX office. This role plays a critical part in ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery for internationally mobile employees and serves as a key contact for client payroll matters. Qualified candidates will start the position on-site in our Houston office.

This position is designed as a developmental role with a clear and accelerated path to Manager, offering exposure to complex international payroll matters, process improvement initiatives, and team leadership responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage expatriate payroll processing, including shadow payroll calculations and compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions
• Support the delivery of accurate, compliant, and timely payroll operations for assigned clients
• Act as a primary point of contact for payroll inquiries, issue resolution, and coordination with clients
• Coordinate payroll inputs, approvals, validations, and reconciliations
• Partner closely with internal stakeholders and other responsible team members to ensure end‑to‑end payroll accuracy
• Support payroll reconciliations, quarterly and annual reviews, and variance analysis
• Contribute to automation, standardization, and process improvement initiatives within expatriate payroll operations
• Support payroll implementations, system upgrades, and integrations
• Document and improve payroll workflows and controls
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior staff, supporting their technical and professional development

Education, Training & Experience

• 3+ years of payroll experience, including exposure to international or expatriate payroll
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
• Demonstrated experience supporting payroll implementations, transitions, or upgrades
• Strong problem‑solving and troubleshooting skills with the ability to exercise sound and mature judgment
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced, client‑facing environment
• Interest in people development and mentoring junior team members
• Additional language skills are a plus

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including:
• Pivot tables
• VLOOKUP / data analysis
• Payroll reconciliation models
• Payroll software experience required; Thomson Reuters ACS experience is a strong plus

Career Development & Growth

• Senior‑level role with high visibility across global mobility and payroll leadership
• Clear and accelerated progression toward a Manager position based on performance
• Opportunity to influence payroll process design, automation, and standardization initiatives
• Continuous learning through exposure to complex international payroll matters and global clients

Why This Role

This role is ideal for a payroll professional who:

• Enjoys solving complex international payroll challenges
• Wants client interaction combined with technical ownership
• Is ready to move beyond execution into leadership, mentoring, and process ownership
• Is looking for a clear path to management within a global mobility expatriate tax practice

Benefits:

We understand that talented individuals are drawn to companies that offer comprehensive benefits packages. Therefore, we provide a robust Benefits Plan that includes:

• 401K plan (with up to 5% salary paid employer contributions)
• Medical coverage
• Paid Dental coverage
• Employee and Dependent life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Vision insurance
• Accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Paid Day of Service annually
• Flexible work arrangements
• Generous paid time off – 25 days for all full-time employees!
• Paid holiday
• Additional paid holiday following 4/15 deadline
• Paid parking/public transportation reimbursement
• Mobile phone reimbursement
• Tuition reimbursement & training
• Paid time off on days sitting for CPA Exam
• Monetary bonus for passing the US CPA exam

Why RÖDL?

• We keep our employees current by supplying cutting-edge technology and access to learning opportunities
• We invest in the growth of our team members through regular feedback sessions
• We recharge as a team by celebrating deadlines and gathering at organized firm events
• We applaud the achievement of both career and personal milestones for individual team members on a firm-wide basis

What makes the culture at RÖDL USA unique?

Unlike firms that may hint at an international work environment, RÖDL USA offers a truly global workplace. Every day, RÖDL employees are immersed in a diverse intercultural setting where it's common to hear colleagues or clients speaking different languages, sharing cultural traditions from their home countries, or explaining unique perspectives. Whether a team member is from the US or abroad, this inclusive culture supports the global vision established at our worldwide headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and drives the Firm’s success in the international marketplace.

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LinkedIn - Rödl & Partner USA

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Get to Know RÖDL:

Our focus on the accounting, assurance, and tax needs of foreign, family-owned midsized ("Mittelstand") businesses operating in the U.S. carries forward from our two founding firms. Rödl & Partner (founded in 1977 in Nuremberg, Germany) and Langford de Kock & Co. (founded in 1976 in Atlanta, GA) and their merger in 2001.


As the preferred accounting, auditing, tax and business consulting professional services firm of German- speaking and other international entities, you will benefit from the extensive experience of our U.S. certified public accountants, as well as our bilingual staff of professionals, many of whom also carry international certifications (StB, WP, Dottori Commercialisti, CA).

At RÖDL, our integrated approach to client success revolves around collaboration. We prioritize internal synergy, ensuring seamless integration across departments to guarantee holistic client support. Additionally, our thorough oversight involves equipping managers and seniors with the necessary tools for effective performance and deadline adherence. These principles underscore our commitment to excellence in client service.

Rödl Management, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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