People Operations & Payroll Lead

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default 

At Proton, we believe that privacy is a fundamental human right and the cornerstone of democracy. Since our inception in 2014, founded by a team of scientists from CERN, we have dedicated ourselves to providing free and open-source technology to millions worldwide, ensuring access to privacy, security and freedom online. 

Our journey began with Proton Mail, the largest secure email service globally, and has since expanded to include Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass. These tools empower individuals and organisations to take control of their personal data, break away from Big Tech’s invasive practices and defeat censorship. Our work impacts hundreds of millions of lives, from activists on the front lines defending freedom to leaders in governments protecting sensitive information. In some cases, Proton’s services have even been instrumental in saving lives by enabling secure and private communications in high-risk situations. 

Proton today supports over 100 million user accounts with a growing team of over 500 people from over 50 different countries, from the world's top companies and universities. We value intelligence, learning potential and ambition in our hiring process. Adaptability is key as we navigate uncharted territories and redefine how business is conducted online. We believe smaller teams of exceptional talent will always prevail over larger teams with lower talent density. Proton has become profitable and reached scale without relying upon VC funding, largely due to superior talent that allows us to do things faster, more creatively and more efficiently. 

We have a global mindset and big ambitions but remain a start-up at heart. We value empowerment and flexibility and keep our structure flat to keep moving fast and avoid unnecessary politics. Tired of blending into the crowd? Join us and do work you can truly be proud of. Check our social media pages to learn more about us: Reddit, X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn. 

Role overview

The Proton team is currently distributed across 9 different offices (Geneva, Zurich, London, Paris, Barcelona, Skopje, Taipei, Prague and Vilnius) or engaged remotely in many other countries worldwide. Reporting to the People Experience Lead, you'll manage, mentor and develop a team of 3 People Operations & Payroll Partners across different locations, standing for our people’s day-to-day experience, facilitating their work life and positively influencing their productivity/engagement internationally.

Some of our current projects include designing our next generation HRIS, fully integrated with its ecosystems, to gain simplification and automation in our processes. We're also streamlining and improving the collaboration with a recently implemented global payroll provider, fully integrated with HRIS and Finance systems to gain efficiently at scale, with automated contractual management through Luminance

Your engagement and due diligence will directly impact the retention of our talent, while you'll also contribute to the echoing reputation and success of Proton by ensuring compliance and integrity in all our people processes. We're a growing company, with a good level of business maturity but without the burden of corporate processes. Agility and velocity are commonplace at Proton, making this role a unique opportunity to innovate and develop your own way of leading our People Operations & Payroll team.

What you’ll do

• Ensure engagement of your direct reports and provide them guidance on day-to-day responsibilities
• Oversee the HRIS (HiBob), ensuring data accuracy and integrity
• Drive exceptional experience throughout the entire team members' lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding
• Oversee and coordinate payroll systems, providers and processes
• Ensure compliance with local employment laws and regulations    
• Make sure that effective controls and people policies aligned with Proton's goals are in place to meet auditable processes as required
• Manage HR projects and initiatives as defined

What you'll bring

• 5+ years of experience in HR operations or people business partnering, including experience in people management (3+ direct reports), with a portfolio including payroll responsibilities (ideally in international, fast-paced tech environments)
• Good knowledge of payroll practices with a multi-country scope of responsibility
• Comfort with numbers and statistics, along with excellent analytical skills and an eye for detail 
• Proven experience in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, IFS at a minimum)
• Conflict resolution and negotiation skills with the ability to manage employee relations issues
• A strong sense of confidentiality 
• English as a must, with a second language (ideally French, Spanish or German) as a plus.
• Willingness to learn, roll up your sleeves, raise your hand, help to deliver and strive for excellence

What we offer 

• Technology: we provide all the devices and software you need to excel in your role, ensuring you have the best tools at your disposal to achieve your goals 
• Learning & Development: we are committed to your professional growth – Proton offers various learning opportunities, including training programs, conferences/events and continual learning 
• Employee Benefits: comprehensive health insurance plans, competitive retirement savings options, generous vacation/leave policies and wellness programs 
• Stock Options: at Proton, we are all owners of the company and you get stock options when you join us 
• In-Person Collaboration: collaboration is easier and more effective in person, which is why we have offices in Geneva, Zurich, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, London, Vilnius, Skopje and Taipei – you can enjoy working from home for up to 30% of the time, while enjoying great company culture during our three core days in the office (depending on the role, fully remote positions may also be available)
• Food: lunch and snacks are provided by Proton every day at our offices 
• Transport: we'll always support our employees with transport costs through subsidising public transport, bike allowances or parking spaces based on your office location 
• Flexible Working: you can define your own working hours as long as it works with team meetings 
• Work that Matters: Proton is a community-first organisation, started with the support of a crowdfunding campaign and built with community input – to this day, Proton’s only source of revenue is user subscriptions: over 100 million people trust and support Proton, and we put our users and community first in everything we do (read more about our impact here) 

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion 

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability or socio-economic background feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected. 

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know. 

Candidate privacy notice 

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG (Proton, we, us or our), your information is stored in Greenhouse, in accordance with its Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position. We also retain this information for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills. 

If we no longer have a legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymise it. Should you have any inquiries about how we use or manage your information or if you wish to access, correct or delete your data, please contact our privacy team at careers@proton.ch.

Proton does not accept unsolicited CVs from any sources other than directly from candidates. We will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from an unsolicited offer, even if the candidate is subsequently hired by Proton. 

To learn more about our privacy policy, please visit our privacy policy page.