Senior Director Global Payroll Operations

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Director, Global Payroll Operations based in the United States. Take on a senior enterprise leadership role shaping the strategy, transformation, and delivery of global payroll and time-management services across a complex multinational organization. You will establish a scalable operating model that balances consistent global standards with country-specific regulatory requirements and workforce needs. By modernizing processes, strengthening governance, and leveraging automation, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies, you will improve operational efficiency, compliance, and the employee experience. Working closely with executive leaders and cross-functional teams, you will align payroll operations with broader business priorities while overseeing strategic vendor relationships and technology initiatives. This role offers the opportunity to lead significant global transformation, develop high-performing international teams, and deliver measurable improvements in service quality, risk management, and business performance. Accountabilities - Global strategy and operating model: Define and execute the global payroll and time-management strategy, operating model, governance framework, and multi-year transformation roadmap to support business growth, acquisitions, regulatory changes, and evolving workforce needs. - Global service delivery: Oversee end-to-end payroll and time operations across multiple countries, ensuring accurate, timely, consistent, and compliant service delivery while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence. - Executive and cross-functional partnership: Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on payroll strategy, operational performance, compliance, technology, and investment priorities. Build strong partnerships across Human Resources, Finance, Tax, Legal, Technology, Audit, Procurement, and business functions. - Compliance, tax, and internal controls: Provide oversight of global payroll compliance, tax administration, statutory reporting, internal controls, and audit readiness.

Proactively identify and mitigate regulatory, financial, operational, and technology risks. - Governance and accountability: Establish clear decision rights, performance metrics, escalation procedures, and accountability frameworks. Monitor service quality, financial outcomes, operational resilience, and compliance across global, regional, and local teams. - Vendor and commercial management: Lead relationships with payroll providers, time-management vendors, technology partners, and managed-service providers. Oversee service-level agreements, vendor performance, contract negotiations, sourcing decisions, escalations, and value realization. - Transformation and technology enablement: Sponsor global initiatives involving process standardization, platform implementations, automation, vendor transitions, and operating-model redesign. Apply artificial intelligence and emerging technologies where they can simplify workflows, strengthen controls, and improve efficiency. - Organizational and talent leadership: Build and develop a high-performing global team, strengthen leadership capabilities, support succession planning, and foster accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and continuous improvement. - Operational resilience and continuity: Ensure effective business-continuity, disaster-recovery, escalation, and recovery plans are in place to address high-risk payroll disruptions and maintain reliable service delivery. Requirements - A bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field is required. A master's degree is preferred. - PMP certification is required.