About this role
As part of the Regional Civilian Personnel Office (Europe) (RCPO(E)), the Payroll & Benefits Assistant supports the Payroll & Benefits Advisor with absence management, payroll calculations, budgeting reports, onboarding/offboarding and answering queries from both employees and their supervisors. You will provide project support on any files and initiatives related to our civilian employees. The role is constantly evolving and there is always something new to learn! The RCPO(E) provides human resources (HR) advice, recruitment, payroll and HR policy/strategy. We employ more than one-hundred civilians, in eight European countries. They support the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) by working in roles such as administrative support assistants to building maintenance workers and everything in-between. Our team is part of the Canadian Forces Support Unit Europe (CFSUE) within the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND). Our civilian employees, in Europe, support the CAF and their operations and missions in Europe and beyond. Closing date - Sunday 19th July 2026 @ 23:59h CET (Berlin Time) **Internal Job Title -** Compensation & Benefits Assistant **External Job Title -** Payroll & Benefits Assistant **Location -** Niederheid, Germany **Proposed Start Date -** Immediate **Weekly Hours -** 38.5 (full-time) **Classification -** C5 **Starting Salary (step 1, gross) -** €3167.58 EUR gross per month **Salary Growth (step 8/end step, gross) -** €4332.29 EUR gross per month. The full salary scale, including all of the incremental steps and waiting periods, can be provided upon request. **Who Can Apply? -** Persons legally entitled to work in Germany indefinitely. Our office does not arrange or sponsor work permits or visas. Persons who are a citizen of a NATO member country. See the section “additional non-negotiable factors having an impact on your eligibility for employment and 'conditions of employment' for more criteria. **Positions To be Filled -** One (1). A candidate pool might be created from this recruitment process. Underfills may be considered if no qualified candidates apply. ADDITIONAL NON-NEGOTIABLE FACTORS HAVING AN IMPACT ON YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR EMPLOYMENT - You must be willing to undergo a background investigation in order to obtain a valid security clearance certificate from your own NATO country of citizenship. - If your country of citizenship has compulsory military service (conscription) for its citizens, you must have completed your compulsory military service (conscription) as per your country of citizenship’s legislation. If your country of citizenship does not have compulsory military service (conscription) for its citizens, this requirement is not relevant for you. - You must be willing to provide the required documentation in order to obtain a ‘reliability status’. - You must be able to obtain and maintain a clean criminal record check. ESSENTIAL CRITERIA Please ensure that your CV and/or letter to clearly demonstrate how you meet all of the essential 'education', 'experience' and 'language' criteria listed below. If your application does not sufficiently evidence all of the essential criteria, this may result in your application being rejected. Our office does 'assume' that you meet a criteria if it is not clearly evidenced on your application. Education - Completion of minimum of secondary/high school education (e.g. Realschulabschluss or higher) or an equivalent combination of relevant training and/or relevant professional experience. Experience - Experience using all of the following Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel, and Outlook. - A minimum of two years in an office based environment. - Experience of analyzing data for accuracy. Language - English Skills & Abilities (may be assessed at a later date) - Ability to communicate effectively orally in English - Ability to communicate effectively in writing in English - Ability to plan and organise - Ability to work independently - Client service orientation - Teamwork - Discretion - Attention to detail We will assess your skills and abilities may be assessed via any of the following methods: your initial application, pre-recorded video interview, written assessment, attention to detail assessment, in-person interview. ASSET (DESIRABLE) CRITERIA Please do not be discouraged from applying if you cannot offer them! Education - Vocational training as a Payroll and Accounts Clerk (Ausbildung als Lohn-und Gehaltsbuchhalter/innen) - Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in human resources, labour or industrial relations, public or business administration, or any other field relevant to the work to be performed Experience - Experience providing compensation and benefits support - Experience in payroll support services (e.g. processing time sheets, paying invoices, calculating allowances, bonuses, monitoring step increments, etc.) - Experience in working independently - Experience providing advice and guidance to clients on policies and regulations - Experience of using an ERP financial management software (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Sage, Dynamics 365, ProALPHA, Odoo, Unit4 etc.) - Experience of using Microsoft Sharepoint Ability - Ability to communicate effectively orally in any of the following European languages: German, Latvian or French. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT - Must be able to obtain and maintain a Reliability Status (background check) - Must be eligible to upgrade their security status to NATO Secret. - Must be able to work in Germany unrestricted and without the need for visa sponsorship from the employer. OPERATIONAL & ORGANISATIONAL REQUIREMENTS - Depending on work requirements, hours of work will vary from time to time. - For operational or unforeseen reasons, employees must be willing and able to work from home, if requested to do so by their supervisor. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Your application must include a valid email address and you must ensure that th