Director of Payroll

Are you looking for an opportunity to lead global payroll operations for a large, complex, dynamic organization. This is an opportunity to shape strategy, drive innovation, and lead a high performing global team—all while influencing transformational change on a worldwide scale. As the Head of Payroll, you’ll own the end to end payroll ecosystem across multiple countries, ensuring accuracy, compliance, operational excellence, and a best in class employee experience. You’ll partner with leaders across HR, Finance, and IT to build a multi year payroll roadmap, elevate technology, streamline processes, and deliver automation that scales.

What are people saying about this company?

• They invest in their people via training
• They allow you the independence to do your job without looking over your shoulder.
• Supportive. Good benefits. Nice culture to work in. Great people.

Title: Global Payroll Director

Location: New Haven, CT (Hybrid)

Salary: $170,000 – $190,00 Bonus LTI

Key Responsibilities:

• Direct and coordinate the Design and Implementation of a Global Payroll Strategy with a multi-year roadmap, including planning, design, implementation, and delivery of the payroll technology, as well as process improvement projects that meet the needs of the organizational vision.
• Lead the full scope of global payroll and timekeeping operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely pay across all regions.
• SME and Payroll Lead for enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, including M&A.
• Identify key considerations and risk mitigation opportunities, and provide direction on Payroll-specific components to ensure alignment.
• Lead process to evaluate and select new technology and evaluate vendors.
• Vendor Contracts: Ensure T&Cs, Cost, and Services are aligned.
• Responsible for Payroll Operations, measuring and monitoring the effectiveness and efficiencies of services provided to customers, the employees.
• Serves as Subject Matter Expert, meeting with other leaders in support of a global platform, following a defined global governance and shared services model.
• Ensure Global Payroll Operations process documentation and procedures are maintained, including records retention, escheatment, other corporate policies.
• Ensure Compliance within all aspects of global payroll, including policies, guidelines, procedures, and regulations across the enterprise.
• Audits: Perform review of Vendor SOC1 and SOC2 to ensure all SOX compliance and control requirements are met and gaps addressed; complete quarterly management certifications; meet with and respond to audit requests. Complete quarterly certifications, attestations.
• Ensure all financial controls and reporting activities are accurate and efficient.
• Audit to effectively plan and execute operational targets for key initiatives.
• Budget Preparation and Management for Payroll Operations and Capitalized projects (AFE), reporting regularly on the financial performance, along with KPI’s.
• Provide direction on Timekeeping, Payroll Systems, Payroll Operations, Maintenance, Upgrades and Enhancements
• Develop Payroll professionals, growing skills and capabilities, and provide development opportunities for advancement.
• Ensure payroll operations performance metrics and SLAs are achieved
• Provide excellent customer service & support to employees, customers, managers, and leaders, maintain World Class Payroll Service & Operational Excellence.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; A Master’s Degree is a plus
• Approximately 20 years global payroll operations in large enterprises (8k employees, $4B ), leading multinational, geographically dispersed payroll teams.
• CPP and/or GPMI Certification preferred.
• Excellent project/program management experience.
• Expertise in payroll tax laws, global compliance, data privacy, multi jurisdiction regulations.
• Experience with expat/inpat/cross-border taxation and payroll G/L reconciliation.

Needed:

• Executive compensation taxation, reporting, and proxy experience.
• M&A payroll integration experience, including system builds and training.
• Time & Attendance implementation (Kronos, eTime, WFM).
• Advanced knowledge of HR/Payroll/Finance systems: SuccessFactors, Kronos, SAP, Office.
• Experience with internal/external audits, key controls, DR/BCP testing, file interfaces, and case management.
• High attention to detail, analytical strength, executive-level communication, and data-driven decision making.
• Metrics-driven, innovative, and comfortable overseeing enterprise-wide functions.
• Travel: 25%, including occasional international travel.