Global Payroll Transformation Senior Manager

The Senior Global Payroll Transformation Manager is responsible for driving and supporting global payroll initiatives across compliance, equity, mobility, and payroll-related projects. This role focuses on enhancing payroll processes, ensuring global compliance, and delivering continuous process improvements that improve the employee experience.

The successful candidate will identify root causes of operational challenges, collaborate cross-functionally to implement effective solutions, and evaluate systems, processes, and business requirements to optimize performance. They will also develop business cases, recommend strategic improvements, and lead the implementation of change initiatives across the global payroll function.

This role can be based in Austin, TX, following a hybrid work model, or performed remotely from anywhere within the United States.

Essential Job Functions and Accountabilities

• Represent Payroll as a key stakeholder in cross-functional initiatives impacting payroll operations
• Lead and manage global payroll projects and cross-functional initiatives in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment
• Drive execution of payroll-related system implementations, enhancements, and third-party vendor integrations
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to deliver projects on time, within scope, and aligned to business priorities
• Develop and present business cases outlining cost, risk, service, and operational impact to support decision-making
• Identify, prioritize, and implement process improvements to enhance scalability, efficiency, and accuracy of payroll operations
• Drive standardization of processes across regions, reducing reliance on manual interventions
• Lead efforts to improve the employee and stakeholder experience related to payroll 
• Proactively identify risks and implement mitigation strategies to ensure audit readiness and operational integrity
• Conduct root cause analysis on complex payroll issues and implement sustainable solutions
• Develop and deliver payroll metrics, reporting, and analytics to provide visibility into performance, risks, and trends
• Help build team capability and drive accountability, ownership, and continuous learning
• Drive integration and optimization of payroll systems, including alignment with platforms such as Success Factors
• Lead change management efforts related to payroll process, system enhancements, and organizational changes
• Ensure documentation of processes, controls, and procedures is comprehensive and up to date

Minimum Requirements / Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive payroll experience, including leading global payroll projects and cross-functional initiatives in a complex, multinational environment
• Proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale, time-sensitive projects (e.g., system implementations, vendor transitions, process transformations) from planning through execution and stabilization
• Demonstrated expertise in project management disciplines, including scope definition, timeline management, risk identification/mitigation, stakeholder alignment, and delivery against defined milestones
• Experience managing concurrent global initiatives with competing priorities, ensuring alignment to business objectives and on-time delivery
• Strong ability to operate across regions (NAM, EMEA, LATAM, APAC) with an understanding of regional dependencies, compliance considerations, and localization requirements
• Experience partnering with cross-functional stakeholders (HR, Finance, Legal, IT, external vendors) to drive alignment, remove blockers, and ensure successful execution
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience conducting root cause analysis and implementing sustainable, scalable soluti