The Payroll Operations Manager is responsible for the end-to-end multi-country payroll service delivery through the Payroll Central India (PCI). This position will be directly managing and responsible for the output of country-grouped processing pods, consisting of pod Leads, Processors & Administration team members, working as part of a scalable operation to ensure the accurate and timely payroll processing of all countries serviced through the PCI.
The incumbent is responsible for ensuring quality control and compliance of payroll provision, underpinned by strict SLA/KPI service measures that ensure accuracy, efficiency and customer satisfaction. Will lead and manage all PCI Team members, ensuring they are appropriately trained and developed for continuous improvement across the different levels of processing competency with an ongoing focus on business continuity through cross coverage to ensure the demands of the PCI payment cycles are always met.
The Payroll Operations Manager will be the subject matter expert for payroll processing within our ADP systems and form a strong collaboration with ADP Service Management to ensure smooth delivery between parties and appropriate upskilling of the PCI Team when it comes to working with our Global payroll partner ADP. Partner closely with Regional Payroll & Technology Specialists, in maintaining & optimizing the overall payroll and compliance landscape that governs the capabilities and attribute of the PCI. Also, will work in close partnership with the wider HR Function and other key stakeholders in the payroll process, such as Finance, Tax & Treasury teams, as necessary to fulfill the operational requirements of the PCI.
Responsibilities:
- Oversee on-cycle & off-cycle payroll runs as per strict country calendars, ensuring processing methodology and agreed controls are adhered to as part of daily operations across all pods.
- Ensure quality control measures are complied with as part of the standard payroll sign off process, with appropriate checklists, controlling and reconciliation processes at each stage of the payroll cycle.
- Coordinate with ADP support teams and internal stakeholders for issue resolution and compliance adherence that impact payroll delivery.
- Manage risk mitigation to anything that impacts the delivery of individual payroll cycles or pay days and embed changes to future practices to avoid further recurrences.
- Provide optimization planning for each pending cycle to ensure special measures or activities, such as special projects or legislative updates, are undertaken in addition to the standard processing practices.
- Manage and ensure execution of the annual calendar of activities, such as tax year end, compensation and benefit renewals.
- Ensure comprehensive process documentation, robust process coverage, and effective contingency plans for uninterrupted payroll delivery.
- Conducts variance analysis and ensure reconciliation accuracy across pods to monitor performance and efficiencies.
- Drive standardization, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across the payroll hub.
- Manage pod teams to ensure they are appropriately staffed and upskilled (technical & service orientation) to meet the demands of all country pay cycles.
- Provide direction, coaching, and performance oversight to Leads, Supervisors, Processors, & Administrators.
- Ensure Team performance is measured and monitored in line with service delivery SLAs & KPIs and acted upon where performance is substandard.
- Create a culture of high performance and high collaboration across pods, with a focus on cross training and contingency.
- Maintain manpower planning to ensure Payroll Central India is always staffed and can manage natural attrition without service disruptions.
- Ensure all activities undertaken by the PCI are all tracked & documented to ensure 100% compliance with audit all controls.
- Ensure all payroll country requirements, including internal & external compliance, as managed and advised by Regional Payroll Specialists are reflected in processing operations within the PCI to ensure ADP & other systems and processing operations are always 100% compliant.
- Ensure all aspects of the PCI are documented within the appropriate Knowledge Base for ongoing reference by customers, stakeholders & team members.
- Ensure Payroll Request Management is used effectively to manage team workload and also used to drive business insight for improvements and priorities.
Requirements:
- 5+ years of multi country payroll delivery experience.
- Proven managerial experience of Payroll Teams in a multinational organization.
- Experience with centralized, shared services, or captive payroll models.
- Strong background working with ADP (or similar) payroll platforms.
- Multi-country payroll operations and statutory compliance knowledge.
- Country migration and parallel payroll experience.
- Payroll governance, controls and audit awareness.
- Strong experience with using Enterprise Payroll Software or working with a payroll vendor such as ADP.
- Strong experience with payroll systems development such as interfaces to Timekeeping & HCM.
- Strong communication and influencing skills.
- Ability to manage ambiguity and complex stakeholder environments.
- Structured, detail-oriented and outcome-focused mindset.
