Head of Payroll (Global)

We are seeking an experienced Head of Payroll (Global) to implement a standardized global payroll framework, ensuring consistency, compliance, and efficiency across our three key regions: EMEA, APAC, and the Americas.

This senior role involves establishing the global governance and operating model, overseeing adherence to all international and local statutory regulations and tax laws.

A core responsibility will be to build, mentor, and lead a newly formed global payroll team, fostering a culture of high performance, accuracy, and exceptional customer service while creating comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all key processes, establishing robust Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and ensuring a strong vendor oversight model.

This role will report to the Director HR Specialists and Talent Operations on the Talent team supporting the global Talent Operations area.

1. Strategic Architecture & Governance

• Build the Blueprint: Design and implement a standardized global operating model across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas.
• Policy Ownership: Create the "Global Payroll Playbook" (SOPs and policies) to ensure everyone, everywhere, follows the same high standards.
• System Optimization: Lead the charge on tech upgrades and process automation to make the function scalable.

1. Vendor & Operations Management

• Vendor Oversight: Audit and manage all third-party payroll providers, holding them accountable via strict SLAs and KPIs.
• Dual-Track Management: Supervise the outsourced global regions while directly managing the internal, in-house US payroll team.
• Business Continuity: Ensure the "lights stay on" by developing disaster recovery and backup plans for all global payments.

1. Compliance, Tax & Audit

• Regulatory Watchdog: Ensure 100% compliance with international tax laws, statutory reporting, and local regulations.
• Complex Mobility: Manage high-level tax issues, including expatriate arrangements, tax equalization, and remote work complexities.
• Audit Lead: Serve as the primary point of contact for financial, tax, and worker's compensation audits.

1. Leadership & Stakeholder Liaison

• Team Building: Recruit, mentor, and "upskill" a brand-new global payroll team.
• Internal Partner: Act as the bridge between HR, Finance, Legal, and Tech to align payroll with the company’s broader goals.
• Final Escalation: Serve as the ultimate "fixer" for complex payroll disputes or high-level employee inquiries.

1. Financial Integrity

• General Ledger Accuracy: Work closely with Finance on payroll accounting, reconciliations, and ensuring compensation data is reflected accurately in the company's books.

• Experience: Minimum of 6-8 years of progressive experience managing payroll for a company with a significant international footprint (5+ countries)
• Global Compliance Expertise: Extensive knowledge of multinational payroll regulations, tax laws, reporting requirements, and labor laws, including specific experience with expatriate and remote worker tax implications
• System Proficiency: Proven hands on expertise with Workday (or a major other HR system like SAP, Success Factors, etc)
• Leadership & Management: Experience leading a geographically dispersed payroll team and managing complex relationships with multiple external payroll vendors
• Accounting Integration: Strong understanding of payroll accounting, General Ledger (GL) reconciliation, journal entries, and financial reporting related to compensation and benefits
• Audit & Control: Extensive experience managing internal and external audits, implementing robust internal controls, and ensuring SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) or equivalent compliance.
• Process Optimization: Successful track record of identifying inefficiencies, implementing process improvements, and driving global standardization in payroll operations.
• Communication Skills: Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex payroll and tax concepts to employees, management, and executive stakeholders
• Problem Solving: Proven ability to research, analyze, and resolve highly complex payroll discrepancies and compliance issues under tight deadlines.
• Education/Certification: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, HR or a related field