About the School - The British School of Barcelona:
The British School of Barcelona (BSB) is a great school in a wonderful location. We are an HMC school and were judged by a recent BSO (British Schools Overseas) inspection to be outstanding in every area, including quality of education, safeguarding, pupil welfare and academic outcomes.
BSB is a large, very popular school for children aged 3 to 18. Our curriculum is based on the English National Curriculum, and we offer a wide range of GCSEs, A levels, BTEC and the International Baccalaureate Diploma, all alongside a significant enrichment program.
Approximately 2350 students from more than 74 nationalities attend the school and over 335 staff work at BSB. We are based in three locations, two just outside the city of Barcelona – in Castelldefels, where we have a Primary, Secondary and Pre-University campus, and in the cosmopolitan own of Sitges, where we have another Primary campus. BSB City is in the heart of Barcelona itself with a Foundation campus (built September 2021), and a brand-new main campus which opened in September 2023.
In September 2026 we will be opening another campus, initially for EYFS and Primary-aged students, north of Barcelona, in the Maresme area.
The growth of the school has been accompanied by significant investment over recent years, including the building of a state-of–the art Pre-University Centre (Nexus), a full-sized 4G rugby and football pitch, dedicated STEAM facilities and the new BSB City and Maresme campuses.
Barcelona is a wonderful place to live, combining an amazing city with beaches and mountains nearby. The quality of life is excellent with a mild climate and year-round sunshine.
The school now has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Payroll Specialist to join our fantastic team.
About Cognita:
Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Founded in 2004, we are a growing community of 90 schools in 21 countries - in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East - serving more than 100,000 students. Each of our schools are proudly unique, however our collective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can, "Thrive in a rapidly evolving world".
About the Role:
As a Payroll Specialist, you will play a key role in delivering accurate and timely payroll for employees in Spain. Working closely with our external payroll provider, you will coordinate the monthly payroll cycle, ensuring all data changes are validated, compliant, and submitted on time. You will review payroll outputs for accuracy, manage payroll queries from employees, and support HR and Finance teams with reporting and reconciliations.
This role is central to maintaining compliance with Spanish labour law and internal policies, as well as supporting audits, tax filings and Social Security obligations. You will also contribute to process improvements and system updates, helping to continuously enhance the payroll experience for our people.
This is a permanent, full-time.
To view our Role Profile, click here.
Who We Are Looking For:
You are a detail‑oriented payroll professional with strong organisational and communication skills, confident managing deadlines and multiple stakeholders. You bring 3–5 years’ experience of payroll management in Spain, with a solid understanding of Spanish labour law, IRPF and Social Security processes. You are fluent in Spanish, with English proficiency preferred, and ideally hold a degree in HR, Labour Relations, Finance or a related field. Experience working with external payroll providers and HR systems is highly valued. Above all, you take ownership of your work, value collaboration, and are committed to maintaining high standards and employee wellbeing.
How to Apply:
Complete this application before the closing date: 15th May 2026
Cognita Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.
We are an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of background.
Early applications are encouraged, we reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to closing date for the right applicant.