Global Payroll SME & Transformation Leader

About the Role

We are seeking a highly accomplished Senior Delivery Leader & Subject Matter Expert (SME) with 12+ years of hands-on experience in Global Human Resource Outsourcing (HRO) and Payroll Services. This strategic leadership role demands a rare combination of deep domain expertise, operational excellence, and client-facing gravitas. The incumbent will own end-to-end delivery accountability across multi-country payroll engagements, drive innovation in HRO service models, and serve as the go-to expert for clients, delivery teams, and pre-sales functions globally.

Job Title:

Senior Delivery Leader & Subject Matter Expert – Global HR Outsourcing & Payroll Services

Department:

Human Resources Outsourcing (HRO) / Global Payroll Services

Reports To:

Head of Outsourcing

Experience:

12+ Years

Employment Type:

Full-Time | Permanent

Location:

Global / Hybrid / Remote (as per business requirements)

Travel:

Up to 30% (domestic & international)

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Delivery Leadership

• Own and govern end-to-end delivery of large-scale, multi-country HRO and Payroll engagements across diverse geographies (APAC, EMEA, Americas).
• Serve as the primary escalation point for delivery risks, client issues, and service recovery across the portfolio.
• Define, drive, and monitor SLAs, KPIs, and OLAs to ensure consistent service excellence and contractual compliance.
• Partner with senior stakeholders – C-suite, CHROs, CFOs, and procurement leaders – to align delivery outcomes with business objectives.
• Lead governance forums, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and executive-level reporting with clarity and data-driven insights.

2. Subject Matter Expertise – HRO & Payroll

• Act as the enterprise-wide SME for Global Payroll, HR Administration, Benefits Administration, Workforce Management, and HR Shared Services.
• Provide authoritative guidance on payroll regulations, statutory compliance, tax frameworks, and labor laws across multiple jurisdictions.
• Lead solution design and advisory for clients transitioning to outsourced or hybrid HR/payroll models.
• Stay abreast of evolving global payroll legislation, industry benchmarks, and best practices; translate them into actionable delivery strategies.
• Support bid/proposal processes as a named SME, contributing to RFP/RFI responses, solutioning workshops, and client presentations.

3. Client Relationship Management

• Build and sustain trusted, long-term relationships with client HR and Finance leadership, fostering partnership beyond contractual obligations.
• Drive client satisfaction (CSAT/NPS) through proactive engagement, issue resolution, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and capitalize on revenue growth opportunities (cross-sell/upsell) within existing client accounts.
• Lead client onboarding, transition, and transformation programs with structured change management practices, ensuring seamless handovers and minimal disruption to business operations.

4. Transition & Transformation (T&T) Leadership

• Own end-to-end Transition Management for new HRO/Payroll engagements – from deal sign-off through steady-state, including transition planning, workstream governance, milestone tracking, and stakeholder communication.
• Design and execute Transformation roadmaps for existing accounts – driving process re-engineering, operating model changes, technology upgrades, and workforce capability development to achieve defined business outcomes.
• Manage knowledge transfer, parallel runs, cutover planning, and hyper-care activities to ensure service continuity and zero-defect go-lives during transitions.
• Identify transition risks and interdependencies proactively; establish risk registers, mitigation plans, and escalation protocols to safeguard delivery commitments and client satisfaction.
• Lead structured change management and stakeholder engagement strategies during transformation programs, ensuring adoption, readiness, and sustainable behavioral change across client and internal teams.

5. Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Champion a culture of operational excellence, lean thinking, and Agile delivery across all HRO engagements.
• Identify and eliminate process inefficiencies; implement automation, RPA, and AI-led solutions to optimize payroll and HR operations.
• Drive standardization of delivery playbooks, SOPs, and governance frameworks across geographies.
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) on delivery failures and implement sustainable corrective action plans.

6. Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, cross-functional delivery team of 20–100+ professionals spread across global delivery centers.
• Establish training curricula and competency frameworks to upskill teams on HRO domain knowledge and delivery best practices.
• Drive a performance culture with clear accountability, OKRs, and regular feedback loops.
• Collaborate with HR, Talent Acquisition, and workforce planning teams to ensure optimal staffing and succession planning.

7. Technology & Innovation

• Leverage and optimize leading HCM/Payroll platforms including Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP, Ceridian Dayforce, Oracle HCM, Ramco, or equivalent.
• Actively participate in digital transformation initiatives – AI-powered payroll processing, chatbot-led HR services, and analytics-driven workforce insights.
• Drive adoption of cloud-based payroll solutions and evaluate emerging HR technology landscape for strategic fit.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• 12+ years of progressive experience in HRO, Global Payroll, or HR Shared Services delivery.
• Proven track record of managing multi-country payroll programs across 5+ countries simultaneously.
• Demonstrated experience leading client-facing delivery programs with P&L accountability
• Deep expertise in payroll compliance, statutory requirements, and labor regulations across APAC, EMEA, and/or Americas.
• Proven experience leading large-scale HRO Transition & Transformation (T&T) programs, including scope definition, solution design, migration planning, and go-live execution across multi-country engagements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage transition risks, knowledge transfer, parallel runs, and cutover activities while maintaining BAU service continuity throughout the transition lifecycle.
• Experience in driving HR/Payroll transformation initiatives encompassing process re-engineering, technology implementation, operating model redesign, and change management to deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Hands-on experience with at least two of the following platforms: Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP, Ceridian, Oracle HCM, or Ramco.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in contract governance and client negotiation.

Preferred / Advantageous

• MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification in HR, Business Administration, or Finance.
• Certifications: CPP (Certified Payroll Professional), GPHR (Global Professional in Human Resources), PMP, or PRINCE2.
• Experience in a Big 4 consulting firm, global BPO, or Tier-1 HRO provider (ADP, Alight, Mercer, Conduent, WPP, etc.).
• Exposure to AI/ML applications within payroll and HR shared services environments.
• Experience with GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001 compliance in the context of HR data management.

Core Competencies

Leadership & Strategic Thinking

Domain Knowledge & Technical Proficiency

• Executive presence & stakeholder influence
• Strategic vision & commercial mindset
• Crisis management & decisive leadership
• Cross-cultural team leadership
• Coaching, mentoring & talent development
• Global payroll regulations & compliance
• HCM platforms & payroll technology
• HRSS, hire-to-retire processes
• Process automation & RPA knowledge
• Analytics, MI reporting & data governance

Client & Relationship Management

Operational & Quality Excellence

• C-suite engagement & advisory skills
• Contract governance & SLA management
• Revenue growth & account development
• Exceptional communication & negotiation
• Lean Six Sigma / Agile methodologies
• Transition & transformation management
• Risk identification & mitigation
• Continuous improvement mindset

What We Offer

• Opportunity to lead marquee global HRO engagements with Fortune 500 / 1000 clients.
• Competitive compensation package with performance-linked incentives.
• Exposure to cutting-edge HR technology and transformation programs.
• A collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance work culture.
• Continuous professional development, certifications, and global mobility opportunities.
• Leadership visibility with access to executive mentoring and career growth pathways.