Director, Global Shared Services Center Payroll Process Owner

Key Responsibilities

End-to-End Payroll Process Ownership

• Own the global payroll process from initiation through delivery, including design, governance, and compliance.
• Develop standardized payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls across all supported regions.
• Drive payroll process transformation initiatives, focusing on automation, standardization, and scalability.
• Maintain comprehensive payroll process documentation, training resources, and business continuity plans.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, IT, Legal, and Compliance to align payroll processes with upstream and downstream systems and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure global payroll audit readiness and support internal and external audits, coordinating documentation and compliance reviews.
• Oversee compliance with payroll-related tax, benefits, and statutory reporting requirements in each jurisdiction.

SSC Partner Management

• Act as the primary liaison between AGA regional teams and SSC payroll operations, ensuring service expectations are clearly defined and consistently met.
• Define and monitor payroll KPIs, SLAs, and quality standards in partnership with SSC leadership and SSC providers.
• Manage payroll escalations, overseeing root cause analysis and driving timely resolution across all regions.
• Lead SSC vendor governance activities, including contract oversight, service performance evaluations, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Track global payroll budgets and identify opportunities for cost optimization and operational efficiency.

Transformation Leadership and Change Management

• Design and implement future-state payroll process maps, operating models, and governance structures to enable SSC operations.
• Support payroll system migrations and integrations by ensuring accurate translation of business requirements.
• Drive change management initiatives, including stakeholder engagement, communication plans, and payroll training programs.
• Advise leadership on payroll risks, compliance requirements, and best practices across different regulatory environments.
• Collaborate with data privacy and security teams to ensure payroll operations comply with global data protection standards (e.g., GDPR).

Expansion and Scalability

• Develop scalable payroll models and frameworks to support new market entries, acquisitions, and business expansions.
• Recommend and implement technology enhancements to improve payroll efficiency, accuracy, and adaptability.
• Maintain awareness of global payroll trends and innovations to continuously enhance payroll operations and service delivery.

Qualification & Requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field.
• Professional payroll certifications such as CPP, FPC, or relevant international equivalents.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Lean Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Multilingual skills in English, Portuguese, French, or relevant African languages highly desirable.

Experience

• 7–10 years of end-to-end global payroll experience covering the U.S., Brazil, South Africa, and broader LATAM and African regions.
• 5+ years of leadership experience operating within a Shared Services model and managing SSC providers.
• Expertise in regional labor laws, tax regulations, statutory filings, and audit requirements.
• Demonstrated experience leading payroll process standardization, optimization, and transformation initiatives.
• Practical experience with global payroll platforms such as ADP GlobalView, SAP, Workday, or Oracle Cloud.

Skills And Competencies

• Strategic thinker with a strong focus on process improvement and operational excellence
• Skilled in vendor relationship management and performance oversight
• Excellent communicator capable of engaging global stakeholders across business functions and cultures
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with high attention to detail
• Resilient and adaptable to change within a fast-paced, dynamic business environment
• Culturally agile with the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse and geographically dispersed teams

Benefits

Bonus Program, Medical, Dental, Vision and Rx Insurance, Flexible Spending, 401(k) and 401(k) matching, Employee Assistance, Disability insurance, Paid time off, Holidays.