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.

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. At least 15 years of progressive experience in global payroll and time management, including a minimum of seven years leading multi-country operations, transformation initiatives, compliance, and senior-level teams. Demonstrated experience leading payroll and time operations within a large, complex multinational organization, including global transformation, multi-country vendor management, acquisitions or divestitures, and highly regulated environments. Experience with shared-services or outsourced delivery models is preferred. Proven ability to set enterprise-wide payroll strategy, lead complex international operations, and establish accountability across global, regional, and local teams. Strong expertise in operating-model design, including translating business and workforce strategies into scalable service-delivery frameworks, governance structures, roadmaps, and clearly defined decision rights. Excellent executive communication and influencing skills, with the ability to explain complex payroll, tax, compliance, technology, and vendor issues in clear business terms. A successful track record of leading organizational change, global process standardization, platform implementations, vendor transitions, country deployments, and sustainable adoption initiatives. Strong commercial and vendor-management capabilities, including defining service levels, negotiating contracts, managing executive escalations, evaluating sourcing models, and holding third-party providers accountable for measurable results. Experience building and developing culturally diverse global teams, cultivating future leaders, managing through influence, and aligning stakeholders around common standards and service outcomes. Strong judgment and composure when managing critical payroll disruptions, with experience developing or overseeing business-continuity, disaster-recovery, escalation, and recovery procedures. Practical knowledge of artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies, with the ability to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, controls, and the overall payroll experience. Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% for business. Strong strategic thinking, stakeholder management, decision-making, and change-leadership skills, with a focus on operational performance, risk reduction, and continuous improvement. Benefits Annual base salary: $164,900–$356,100, depending on experience, qualifications, and geographic location. Incentive compensation: Eligibility for commissions or incentive compensation, depending on the role's compensation structure. Healthcare coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits. Retirement savings: Access to a 401(k) plan. Work location: Remote opportunity open to candidates residing anywhere in the United States, with business travel as required. Leadership impact: The opportunity to shape global payroll strategy, lead enterprise-wide transformation, and influence operational priorities at a senior level. Professional growth: Opportunities to lead international teams, advance technology-enabled operations, and drive continuous improvement across a multinational environment.