Junior Payroll Specialist H/F

<h3>About Alta Ares</h3><p style="min-height:1.5em"><br />Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.</p><h3>Role &amp; Mission</h3><p style="min-height:1.5em">As Junior Payroll Specialist, you will own the operational execution of Alta Ares' French payroll and support the People team on all compensation and administrative matters. You will be the go-to person for payroll accuracy, social declarations, and employee administration in a fast-scaling startup where getting it right, every month, matters.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">You will work directly with the People &amp; Talent Lead and Finance team, operating PayFit as the backbone of the payroll function and contributing to the continuous improvement of HR-admin processes as Alta Ares grows from ~52 to 100+ employees.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">This is a hands-on, ownership role not a back-office support position. You will manage the monthly payroll cycle end-to-end, handle employee queries directly, and be a trusted, reliable presence in the People team.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Payroll Operations </strong></p><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Own the monthly payroll cycle end-to-end on <strong>PayFit</strong>: variable element input, payslip validation, anomaly detection, and final approval coordination</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Collect, verify, and integrate all monthly variables: absences, RTT, overtime, bonuses, expenses, and BSPCE-related elements</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Ensure accuracy and compliance of all payslips with applicable collective agreement (Syntec) and French labour law</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Manage payroll for all employment contract types: CDI, CDD, apprenticeship, and VIE (in coordination with Business France)</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Handle employee entries and exits from a payroll perspective: onboarding setup, offboarding calculations (solde de tout compte, indemnités)</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Coordinate with the external social security bodies: URSSAF, CPAM, prévoyance, mutuelle, and retraite complementaire</p></li></ul><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Social Declarations &amp; Compliance</strong></p><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Prepare and submit monthly and annual social declarations: DSN, URSSAF, and applicable reporting obligations</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Monitor regulatory changes in French payroll law and collective agreement updates (Syntec) and implement necessary adjustments in PayFit</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Track and manage sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, and other statutory absences in coordination with CPAM and prévoyance</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Ensure compliance with legal minimums: SMIC, mandatory benefits, and Syntec classification benchmarks</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Maintain organised payroll archives and documentation audit-ready at all times</p></li></ul><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Employee Administration &amp; HR Ops</strong></p><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Serve as the first point of contact for employee payroll queries: responding accurately, promptly, and with the right level of explanation</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Manage administrative employee lifecycle documents: contrats de travail, avenants, attestations, and certificats de travail</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Maintain and update employee records in PayFit and internal HR tools (Notion)</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Support the onboarding process from an administrative standpoint: DPAE, mutuelle affiliation, and prévoyance enrollment</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Contribute to the offboarding process: solde de tout compte, documents de fin de contrat, and Pôle Emploi attestations</p></li></ul><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Finance &amp; Reporting Coordination</strong></p><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Produce monthly payroll reports and cost breakdowns for the Finance team</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Support the preparation of payroll-related provisions and accruals for accounting purposes</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Contribute to the annual salary review process: modelling compensation changes and their payroll impact</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Assist in the preparation of payroll data for audits, fundraising due diligence, and investor reporting</p></li></ul><h2><br />Candidate Profile</h2><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">1–3 years of experience in payroll administration, HR operations, or a combined payroll/HR-admin role</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>PayFit experience is mandatory</strong>: you must be operationally proficient in PayFit from day one</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Startup experience is mandatory</strong>: you are comfortable in a lean, fast-moving environment where processes are still being built and autonomy is the norm</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Solid understanding of French payroll mechanics and social legislation</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Familiarity with Syntec collective agreement is a strong plus</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Experience managing a full monthly payroll cycle independently is valued</p></li></ul><p style="min-height:1.5em">Skills &amp; Qualities</p><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Rigorous and meticulous payroll errors have real consequences for employees, and you take that seriously</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Organised and reliable: you meet monthly deadlines without fail, even when the environment around you is moving fast</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Proactive: you flag anomalies, anticipate bottlenecks, and propose improvements without waiting to be asked</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Service-minded: you handle employee payroll queries with patience, accuracy, and discretion</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Comfortable with numbers: payroll is data-heavy and you are at ease with spreadsheets, reconciliation, and cross-checking</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Discreet and trustworthy: you handle sensitive compensation and personal data daily</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Fluent in French is mandatory; English proficiency is a plus for international entity coordination</p></li></ul><p>Find more <a href="https://www.arbeitnow.fr/english-speaking-jobs">English Speaking Jobs in France</a> on Arbeitnow</a>