- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Department
- Human Resources, People & Culture
- Industry
- Fine Watches & Horology
- Posted
- Nov 5, 2026
About Swatch Group
Swatch Group stands as one of the world’s foremost watchmaking groups, uniting Swiss industrial excellence with a portfolio of distinguished maisons spanning accessible design, prestige horology, and high complication craft. As an employer, the Group offers a uniquely integrated environment, from research, manufacturing, and movement development to brand management, retail, and global operations. Rooted in Biel/Bienne and present worldwide, it values technical mastery, creative curiosity, and long-term commitment. Employees contribute to a culture where heritage, innovation, precision, and entrepreneurial energy converge, supporting iconic brands while shaping the future of Swiss watchmaking on an international stage.
The Head of HR Operations leads the strategy, governance and performance of HR Operations, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant payroll, effective controls and risk management, and regulatory alignment. The role leads and develops the Payroll team, drives process improvement and digital transformation, and provides decision-support analysis in close collaboration with HR, Finance and other stakeholders.
Role & Responsibilities
- Define and lead the strategy, governance and performance of the HR Operations function.
- Ensure payroll processing is accurate, timely and compliant, and that legal, tax and social obligations are met.
- Lead, support and develop the Payroll team to maintain high service quality and expertise.
- Oversee internal controls, audits and risk management for Payroll activities.
- Provide management with analyses, performance indicators and recommendations to support decision-making.
- Lead continuous improvement, digitalisation and transformation initiatives for Payroll processes and systems.
- Oversee end-to-end Payroll activities, data and process quality, and the implementation of necessary controls to manage payroll risks.
- Monitor regulatory developments and ensure practices and procedures are continually adapted to legal and organisational changes.
- Develop team members’ capabilities and foster a culture of performance, collaboration and operational excellence while supporting organisational change.
- Work closely with HR, Finance and other stakeholders to provide analyses and reporting that support decision-making and corporate governance.
Qualifications
- Proven experience managing payroll and leading a Payroll function, ideally in a structured, multi-entity or group environment.
- Excellent command of Swiss employment law, social insurance, payroll taxation and applicable collective labour agreements.
- Demonstrated experience managing, developing and supporting a Payroll team while promoting performance and service orientation.
- Strong experience defining and optimising payroll processes, implementing internal controls and improving operational efficiency.
- Excellent organisational skills, prioritisation and the ability to manage critical activities to deadlines and quality requirements.
- Higher education (Bachelor’s and/or Master’s) in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics or an equivalent field.
- Specialised or additional training in Payroll, social insurance or human resources management is an advantage, such as a Federal Certificate of HR Specialist, a Certificate in Social Insurance Management or equivalent training.
- Certification or additional training in project management, process digitalisation, HRIS or management is an advantage.
- French as the primary language; very good English is essential; good German is strongly preferred.
Skills
Experience
Proven experience managing payroll and leading a Payroll function; demonstrated experience managing and developing a Payroll team; strong experience defining and optimising payroll processes and internal controls.
Education
Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics or an equivalent field. Additional specialised training in Payroll, social insurance or HR management is an advantage.
Workplace
This position is based in Biel/Bienne, Bern, Switzerland.
Explore jobs in Bern or in Switzerland.
Culture
Swatch Group offers a dynamic, multicultural workplace rooted in Swiss precision, creativity, and a deep passion for watchmaking. As an employer, it brings together craftsmanship, industrial expertise, and brand diversity, giving teams the opportunity to contribute to both iconic heritage maisons and forward-looking innovation.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Swatch Group, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Head of Payroll Operations», «Payroll Operations Director», «Payroll Manager», «HR Operations Director», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.