Associate Director-Global Payroll-Pune

Job description

Key Responsibilities Leadership & Talent Management • Lead, mentor, and develop Managers, Assistant Managers, and extended payroll teams across regions • Build a strong leadership bench and ensure succession planning across geographies • Drive strategic hiring to build a high-performing, scalable, and diverse team • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning Global Payroll Delivery Oversight • Provide strategic oversight for end-to-end payroll delivery across UK, Europe, APAC, US, and LATAM • Ensure adherence to SLAs, KPIs, compliance standards, and client expectations • Drive standardization of payroll processes, governance frameworks, and service delivery models globally • Act as a second-level escalation point for complex and high-impact payroll issues Transition & Global Mobility Coordination • Partner closely with Transition and Implementation teams to ensure seamless onboarding of new clients and processes • Ensure all transition milestones are met and projected go-live timelines are achieved • Oversee risk identification, mitigation planning, and post-go-live stabilization • Drive knowledge transfer, process documentation, and operational readiness Stakeholder & Client Engagement • Engage with senior client stakeholders across regions, acting as a trusted advisor on payroll delivery • Drive client satisfaction through proactive communication, governance, and service excellence • Manage complex escalations and lead resolution with a structured, solution-driven approach • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Tax, Advisory, HR, Finance, and Technology within BDO Compliance, Risk & Governance • Ensure adherence to multi-country statutory, regulatory, and tax compliance requirements • Oversee audits, compliance reviews, and governance frameworks across regions • Ensure audit readiness, documentation standards, and risk mitigation practices • Stay aligned with evolving global payroll regulations and BDO policies Operational Excellence & Transformation • Drive continuous improvement initiatives across payroll delivery • Identify and implement automation, standardization, and digital transformation opportunities • Leverage data, dashboards, and analytics to improve performance and decision-making • Reduce rework, errors, and escalations through strong quality frameworks Financial & Commercial Oversight • Oversee financial aspects of payroll delivery, including billing inputs, cost management, and margin optimization • Ensure alignment with BDOs financial goals and operational efficiency targets • Support commercial discussions, RFPs, and solutioning for global payroll engagements Strategic & Critical Projects • Lead global, high-impact payroll projects and transformation initiatives • Manage cross-regional dependencies, timelines, risks, and stakeholder expectations • Ensure successful execution of business-critical and strategic programs Qualifications & Experience • Graduate/Postgraduate in Finance, HR, Business Administration, or related field • 12–18 years of experience in global payroll operations within a professional services or global delivery environment • 5–8 years of leadership experience managing Managers and large, multi-region teams • Proven experience managing payroll across Europe, APAC, US, and LATAM regions • Strong experience in transitions, migrations, and global payroll transformations Key Skills • Deep expertise in global payroll, tax, and compliance across multiple regions • Strong leadership and team-building capabilities in a matrix organization • Excellent stakeholder and client management skills • Strategic thinking with strong execution focus • Strong program/project management and transition management expertise • High attention to detail with strong governance orientation Success Metrics • SLA/KPI adherence across all regions • Payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance outcomes • Successful transition execution and go-live achievement • Reduction in escalations and operational risks • Client satisfaction and retention • Team engagement, retention, and leadership development Process efficiency, standardization, and automation impact