Global Payroll Owner

Global Payroll Owner

Location: London, England (hybrid working)

Type: Permanent

About the Opportunity

Are you a strategic payroll leader with a builder’s mindset? We are seeking a high-caliber Global Payroll Owner to establish, scale, and lead a modern global payroll operating model from the ground up.

In this greenfield transformation role, you will own the end-to-end strategy, vendor landscape, and operational governance required to transition our multi-country payroll capability out of legacy structures into a unified, scalable global function.

If you thrive in high-growth environments, excel at complex corporate carve-outs, and love bridging the gap between strategic design and hands-on delivery, this opportunity is built for you.

What You’ll Do (Key Responsibilities)

• Build & Lead the Global Function: Architect and establish the global payroll organisation, defining target operating models, governance frameworks, and team capabilities globally.
• Drive Large-Scale Transformation: Lead the payroll workstream through corporate separation activities, ensuring complete payroll continuity, parallel testing, and cutover execution.
• Modernise & Automate: Map global data flows, eliminate manual processing, and implement robust integrations between payroll, core HR platforms, Finance, and time tracking systems.
• Provider & Partner Strategy: Rationalise current country-level suppliers, leading vendor selection, contracting, and SLA performance management across all global regions.
• Controls & Compliance Management: Maintain strict global payroll governance, data privacy standards, and statutory tax compliance while embedding continuous improvement controls.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with HR, Tax, Treasury, Finance, IT, and Procurement leaders to align global payroll with business objectives.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven Payroll Leadership: Significant experience heading multi-country payroll operations and governance across complex international matrix organisations, ideally within Workday.
• Transformation & Separation: Direct track record leading payroll workstreams through corporate carve-outs, divestitures, or post-merger integrations.
• Model & Vendor Sourcing: Hands-on expertise selecting, negotiating with, and managing outsourced payroll aggregators and local service providers.
• Process & System Integration: Strong technical understanding of payroll controls, reconciliations, system interfaces, and cloud HCM integration (e.g., Workday).
• Stakeholder & Vendor Mastery: Skilled at building cross-functional alignment and managing vendor SLA performance at an executive level.
• Direct Ownership: Full accountability for global payroll operational standards, calendar oversight, and accuracy metrics supporting 3,500+ team members across 25 countries.
• Strategic Authority: Final sign-off on global payroll workflows, risk frameworks, vendor contracts, and continuous operational enhancements.