Sr Manager Global Payroll & Time

Overview

This leadership role is responsible for overseeing global payroll operations, ensuring compliance, driving payroll transformation, and enhancing employee experience through automation and AI. The position manages payroll processes for over 50,000 employees across more than 30 countries and multiple legal entities, partnering with various internal departments and external vendors to support business objectives and regulatory requirements worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for global payroll operations supporting a multi-billion-dollar annual payroll program.
• Lead global payroll teams across the United States, India, China, Germany, and other EMEA and APAC locations.
• Develop organizational capabilities, resource planning, and leadership within payroll.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, innovation, collaboration, and customer service excellence.
• Oversee strategy, implementation, governance, and optimization of payroll and workforce management technologies, including ADP GlobalView, Celergo, and Qtime (Infor).
• Lead payroll automation initiatives, system integration, digital transformation, and AI-driven solutions to improve accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and employee experience.
• Partner with HR, HRIS, IT, business leaders, and vendors to optimize payroll systems, strengthen controls, and ensure compliance with labor regulations.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, provincial, local, and international payroll regulations.
• Manage SOX compliance and key financial controls related to payroll.
• Support audits, reporting, and risk assessments for global payroll.
• Manage relationships with payroll service providers, including contract negotiation, service-level agreements, and vendor performance.
• Build strategic partnerships with HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, IT, and business leaders to drive initiatives and resolve escalations.
• Lead payroll workstreams for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and global expansions.
• Drive payroll modernization, process standardization, simplification, and automation across regions.
• Collaborate with Finance and Accounting to ensure accurate payroll financial reporting, cost forecasting, budgeting, and expense analysis.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, Information Systems, or related field.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Global Payroll Management Institute (GPMI), or other relevant payroll certifications preferred.

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive payroll operations experience, including multinational payroll leadership for 25,000+ employees.
• 7+ years managing global payroll teams, managers, and outsourced providers.
• Experience leading payroll operations in complex multinational organizations with multiple countries, legal entities, and regulatory environments.
• Proven track record managing large-scale payroll transformation, system implementation, and process optimization.
• Experience with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and organizational integrations from a payroll perspective preferred.

Technical Expertise

• Deep knowledge of global payroll operations, payroll accounting, statutory reporting, payroll taxation, labor regulations, equity, time and attendance, and compliance.
• Advanced experience with enterprise payroll platforms such as ADP GlobalView, ADP Celergo, and Workday/ERP integrations.
• Strong understanding of SOX controls, audit requirements, risk management, and internal control frameworks.
• Experience leveraging automation, AI, analytics, and digital technologies to improve operational effectiveness.
• Strong financial acumen supporting payroll accounting, reconciliations, budgeting, and compliance reporting.

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to influence and deliver outcomes across complex matrix organizations through collaboration and stakeholder management.
• Exceptional leadership, organizational, and people development skills.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Experience managing complex operational issues, escalations, and competing priorities in a fast-paced global environment.
• Excellent executive communication, presentation, and change leadership skills.
• Ability to provide responsive leadership and operational support across multiple time zones (Americas, EMEA, APAC, India).

Travel

• Willingness to travel up to approximately 20% domestically and internationally to support strategic initiatives and vendor governance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 9+ years of Finance, Accounting, or related work experience.
• Advanced degrees may substitute for up to two years of work experience (Master’s = one year, Doctorate = two years).

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $146,400.00 - $219,600.00 annually.
• Competitive annual discretionary bonus program.
• Opportunity for annual restricted stock unit (RSU) grants (note: employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for the annual bonus).
• Comprehensive benefits package designed to support work-life balance.

Location

This role supports global payroll operations across multiple regions including the United States, India, China, Germany, EMEA, and APAC.

This employer is an equal opportunity organization committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities during the hiring process and in the workplace.