Payroll Team Lead | Maternity Leave Cover

We’re looking for a proactive, detail-oriented, and hands-on new team member to join Polestar’s HR Compensation & Benefits and Payroll team as a Payroll Team Lead. This position is a 12-month maternity leave cover. If you're passionate about accuracy, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and want to help shape the future of payroll operations in a global, innovative company — this could be your next step.

You’ll be part of a collaborative HR team and report to the Head of Compensation & Benefits and Payroll. The role is based at our Global Headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. We embrace a hybrid working model, recognizing the value of both in-person collaboration and focused remote work. What matters most is having the time, tools, and trust to get things done — and to enjoy doing them. 

The responsibilities

As Payroll Team Lead, you’ll be responsible for overseeing and coordinating payroll function across multiple countries, ensuring timely and accurate payroll delivery. You’ll lead a small team and work closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance, efficiency, and a great employee experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supervise and support a team of payroll specialists in processing payroll accurately and on time.
• Ensure payroll calculations, including wages, deductions, bonuses, and benefits, are accurate and compliant.
• Oversee payroll reconciliation and reporting, ensuring alignment with Finance and HR teams.
• Manage escalations and complex payroll issues, providing guidance and resolution.
• End-to-end responsible for the payroll process.
• Extract and compile information from different systems to the payroll system.
• Prepare and submit required payroll tax filings, reports, and year-end documentation.
• Ensure accurate reporting of payroll data for internal audits and regulatory compliance.
• Work with external payroll vendors and tax authorities as needed.

The ideal candidate

To thrive in this role (and at Polestar), you are structured, analytical, and collaborative. You bring a strong understanding of payroll processes and systems, and you’re comfortable leading a team. You can work effectively with stakeholders through clear communication and teamwork, while also being capable of working independently and solving problems as they arise. You feel comfortable participating in audit processes with external auditors related to payroll. You manage your time well and consistently meet deadlines, ensuring timely and accurate data entry. Your high attention to detail supports strong data accuracy, and you demonstrate integrity by handling confidential information with discretion.

Other requirements we believe you have:

• Familiar with HR systems, preferably Workday
• Familiar with Payroll software, particularly Kontek (Sweden).
• Good knowledge of Swedish payroll
• Payroll, HR or Admin degree and solid knowledge of payroll processes, gained through 3-5 years of experience of operational payroll work
• At least 2 years in a leadership or supervisory role
• Fluent in English and Swedish

The process

Is this you? If you are interested in joining Polestar, don't wait to submit your application. We apply a continuous selection process, and the job post will be open until the position is filled.

Ready to power up your career? Apply now and help us drive the future!

Join a global team dedicated to improving the societies we live in through sustainable, electric mobility.