Senior Manager - International Payroll

About the team & role:

• An International Payroll Senior Manager is a high-level strategic leader responsible for the accurate and compliant execution of payroll across multiple global jurisdictions. This role bridges the gap between finance, HR, and legal compliance, ensuring that employees are paid on time and in accordance with local labour laws, tax regulations, and corporate policies.
• We are looking for an International Payroll Senior Manager to join our payroll team. This position involves managing payroll teams for multiple regions. The International Payroll Senior Manager is part of the finance team and will report to the Sr Manager, Global Payroll. In this role, you will work closely with the Accounting, Equity, HR and Benefits teams and the external payroll vendor.

What you’ll do?

Global Strategy & Process Improvement

• Vendor Management: Managing relationships with Global Managed Service Providers and conducting periodic RFPs to ensure cost-effectiveness.
• Systems Integration: Partnering with IT to ensure seamless data flow between HRIS Workday, Etrade, other external 3rd party vendors and the global payroll vendor.

Operational Excellence

• Accuracy & Timeliness: Overseeing the end-to-end payroll cycle for thousands of employees across diverse regions (EMEA and APAC). Ensure accuracy and timeliness of payroll, review off- cycle payroll, ensure timely check processing and review payroll reports.
• Handles escalated field queries and resolves issues in a timely manner.
• Collaborates cross-functionally with HR department for new hire processes, terminations and leaves of absence
• Develop internal controls to ensure the quality and efficiency of all payroll functions and regulatory compliance. Communicate procedures with company leadership and field offices.
• Ensure data accuracy and process integrity
• Anticipate and promptly resolve issues when they arise, address the root cause, and recommend mitigation plans to build business resilience
• Continuously drives improvements, automation, communication, and education to increase quality, improve employee experience, and enable rapid scaling
• Proactively identify, drive, and scale improvements in payroll systems, policies, and processes
• Provide expert advice and execution to achieve business goals related to payroll. Drive payroll projects with cross-functional teams to ensure the projects are set up correctly for payroll compliance, and that the process implemented is sustainable for scaling.
• Implementation and integration skills/knowledge preferred.
• Drive change management and successful adoption of all payroll changes
• Assess and manage issues and risks independently
• Funding & Treasury: Coordinating with the Finance team to ensure international bank accounts are funded, and currency conversions are managed to avoid payment delays.
• Audit Management: Leading internal and external audits, ensuring all payroll records are “audit-ready” at any time.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to payroll team members on their professional development, skill set, customer service skills, technical knowledge and management skills. Setting timelines for developments and mentorship, monitoring and redesigning programs/steps to support team members' growth accordingly.

Compliance & Risk Mitigation

• Taxation: Ensuring correct withholding and reporting for social security, income tax, and local statutory benefits (e.g., 13th-month pay, meal vouchers).
• Mobility Payroll: Managing complex payroll scenarios for expatriates, “digital nomads,” and employees on shadow payrolls.
• Legislative Monitoring: Staying ahead of changing labour laws in various countries to prevent penalties or legal disputes.

Experience you'll need:

• Experience: 12–15+ years in payroll, with at least 5 years specifically in a multinational environment
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or HR. CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with different Payroll, Time and Attendance, Human Resources Information Systems, and Payroll Service Providers preferred
• Workday HCM knowledge is required.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, including the ability to manage effectively numerous concurrent projects and tasks in a fast-paced and rapidly growing environment
• Excellent written and oral communications, including education and change management
• Excellent analytical and decision-making abilities
• Demonstrated ability to support operations
• Demonstrated ability to design and proactively improve operational processes
• Demonstrated delivery of results through influence and cross-functional collaboration
• A self-starter who will take the initiative to lead and drive Payroll without constant direction