Payroll Specialist Lead - LATAM

About Remote Remote is solving modern organizations’ biggest challenge – navigating global employment compliantly with ease. We make it possible for businesses of all sizes to recruit, pay, and manage international teams. With our core values at heart and future focused work culture, our team works tirelessly on ambitious problems, asynchronously, around the world. You can find Remoters working from 6 different continents (Antarctica left to go!) and all of our positions are fully remote. With Innovation as one of the core values, we have built Automation and AI capabilities into the requirements for every role. We encourage every member of the Remote team to bring their talents, experiences and culture to the table to help us build the best-in-class HR platform. If you are energetic, curious, motivated and ambitious, be part of our world. Apply now and define the future of work! What this job can offer you This is an exciting time to join our global Payroll Operations team—not only because we are growing, but because we are actively shaping the future of global payroll. You will play a key role in elevating processes, driving standardization, and improving how payroll is delivered across Central America. This role offers the opportunity to own end-to-end payroll processes, work cross-functionally with global teams, and make a direct impact on operational excellence in a fast-paced, international environment, with a primary focus on key Central American countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. What you bring Several years of experience in LATAM payroll, with strong exposure to Central America. Proven experience managing end-to-end payroll processes independently. Strong understanding of compliance, statutory filings, and local labor regulations. Analytical mindset with strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills. Ability to operate in a fast-paced, global environment and manage multiple priorities. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills. Experience working cross-functionally with Finance, Product, or Implementation teams. Strong knowledge of payroll processes across Central America, particularly in countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Solid understanding of local tax regulations, social security, and statutory compliance. Experience managing end-to-end payroll processing in-house. Knowledge of payroll accounting and reconciliations. Familiarity with payroll systems and tools; experience with automation or process improvements is a plus. Fluent in English and Spanish (written and spoken). Experience with in-house payroll operations is a strong plus. Remote work experience is a plus, but not required. Demonstrates strong automation and AI capabilities and AI fluency. Key Responsibilities Act as the subject matter expert for assigned Central America countries, ensuring full ownership of payroll processes. Process end-to-end in-house payroll, including data collection, validation, calculations, approvals, payments, and statutory compliance. Manage statutory filings, tax obligations, and social security requirements across assigned countries. Ensure data accuracy, integrity, and timely delivery aligned with KPIs and SLAs. Handle payroll accounting, reconciliations, and support financial reporting requirements. Partner with internal stakeholders (Payroll Implementation, Finance, Product, and Support teams) to ensure smooth operations and alignment. Identify process gaps and drive continuous improvements, standardization, and automation initiatives. Manage payroll exceptions, escalations, and complex cases with a problem-solving mindset. Support and mentor other payroll specialists, contributing to team development and knowledge sharing. Practicals You'll report to: Manager, Payroll Operations LATAM Team: Operations - Payroll Location: Central America / LATAM (remote) Start date: As soon as possible Application process (async) Profile review Interview with recruiter Interview with team member Interview with hiring managers Bar raiser interview (async) Offer #LI-DNP Remote's Total Rewards philosophy is to ensure fair, unbiased compensation and fair equity pay along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate. We do not agree to or encourage cheap-labor practices and therefore we ensure to pay above in-location rates. We hope to inspire other companies to support global talent-hiring and bring local wealth to developing countries. At first glance our salary bands seem quite wide - here is some context. At Remote we have international operations and a globally distributed workforce. We use geo ranges to consider geographic pay differentials as part of our global compensation strategy to remain competitive in various markets while we hiring globally. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level and location, and our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay for the successful candidate in this role is dependent upon many factors such as location, transferable or job-related skills, work experience, relevant training, business needs, and market demands. The base salary range may be subject to change. At Remote, we foster internal mobility as a key element of our culture of employee growth and development, supported by a compensation philosophy that guarantees pay equity and fairness. Therefore, all compensation changes associated with an internal move will be reviewed by the Total Rewards & People Enablement team on a case by case basis. The annual salary range for this full-time position is $33,300 — $74,900 USD Benefits Our full benefits & perks are explained in our handbook at remote.com/r/benefits . As a global company, each country works differently, but some benefits/perks are for all Remoters: work from anywhere flexible paid time off flexible working hours (we are async ) 16 weeks paid parental leave mental health support services stock options learning budget home office budget & IT equipment budget for local in-person social events or co-working spaces How you’ll plan your day (and life) We work async at Remote which means you can plan your schedule around your life (and not around meetings). Read more at remote.com/async . You will be empowered to take ownership and be proactive. When in doubt you will default to action instead of waiting. Your life-work balance is important and you will be encouraged to put yourself and your family first, and fit work around your needs. If that sounds like something you want, apply now! How to apply Please fill out the form below and upload your CV with a PDF format. We kindly ask you to submit your application and CV in English, as this is the standardised language we use here at Remote. If you don’t have an up to date CV but you are still interested in talking to us, please feel free to add a copy of your LinkedIn profile instead. We will ask you to voluntarily tell us your pronouns at interview stage, and you will have the option to answer our anonymous demographic questionnaire when you apply below. As an equal employment opportunity employer it’s important to us that our workforce reflects people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences and this data will help us to stay accountable. We thank you for providing this data, if you chose to. Please note we accept applications on an ongoing basis.