Director, Global Payroll & HRIS (UKG)

Lead. Transform. Influence

At NAES, we believe payroll is far more than processing transactions—it's one of the most visible expressions of trust between an employer and its employees. Every paycheck represents our commitment to our people.

We're looking for an exceptional leader who sees payroll and HR technology as strategic business functions, not administrative ones. This is an opportunity for someone who thrives building high-performing teams, modernizing systems, developing people, and creating world-class employee experiences across a global organization.

You'll lead an outstanding payroll and HRIS organization while partnering closely with Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, IT, Legal, and executive leadership to shape the future of how we operate. If you're energized by solving complex problems, inspiring teams, simplifying processes, and leading through influence, we'd like to meet you.

Position Summary

The Director of Global Payroll & HRIS provides strategic and operational leadership for all global payroll operations and HR technology. This senior leader is responsible for developing the long-term vision for payroll and HRIS, ensuring exceptional operational execution, strengthening governance and compliance, and building scalable systems that support the organization's continued growth.

Success in this role requires more than technical expertise. We're seeking a leader with strong emotional intelligence, sound business judgment, and a passion for developing people. Someone who creates clarity during change, builds trust across functions, and inspires teams to continuously improve.

The Director leads the end-to-end delivery of accurate, compliant, and timely payroll operations while driving modernization of payroll and HRIS platforms to improve the employee experience and organizational efficiency.

What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a forward-looking global payroll and HRIS strategy that supports organizational growth and scalability

• Provide strategic direction and executive-level leadership for the global payroll and HRIS function

• Build a culture focused on operational excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on payroll strategy, workforce technology, compliance, and organizational risk

• Lead transformational initiatives that simplify processes, improve efficiency, and enhance the employee experience

• Establish priorities, governance, and performance expectations for the payroll and HRIS organization

Build High-Performing Teams

• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain exceptional payroll and HRIS professionals

• Foster an environment built on trust, collaboration, accountability, and ownership

• Develop future leaders while encouraging innovation, curiosity, and professional growth

• Lead with humility, empathy, and emotional intelligence

• Build organizational capability and succession plans to ensure the long-term strength of the function

Global Payroll Excellence

• Oversee accurate and timely payroll processing across multiple countries and jurisdictions

• Ensure compliance with international, federal, state, provincial, and local payroll, tax, wage, and employment regulations

• Own payroll governance, internal controls, audit readiness, JSOX compliance, and data privacy standards

• Continuously evaluate and improve payroll policies, controls, and operating procedures

• Establish and maintain a scalable global payroll operating model that supports organizational growth

HR Technology & Process Transformation

• Lead the strategic direction of payroll and HRIS platforms, including UKG Workforce and future technologies

• Identify opportunities to automate workflows, improve integrations, and leverage technology to eliminate manual processes

• Champion data integrity and reporting capabilities that support better business decisions

• Partner with IT to ensure scalable, secure, and resilient HR technology solutions

• Develop and execute a long-term HR technology roadmap aligned with business and HR strategy

Financial Partnership

• Partner closely with Finance and Accounting to ensure accurate payroll accounting, reconciliations, accruals, executive compensation, and financial reporting

• Ensure payroll data supports audit requirements and organizational financial controls

• Identify opportunities to improve forecasting, reporting, and operational efficiency

• Provide executive leadership with insights into payroll costs, trends, risks, and opportunities

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build trusted relationships across HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, Tax, Operations, and executive leadership

• Influence decisions through collaboration rather than authority

• Communicate complex issues clearly and confidently to executives and stakeholders

• Lead organizational change with transparency and confidence

• Represent Payroll & HRIS as a strategic business function and trusted advisor to senior leadership

Vendor & Service Delivery

• Establish strategic partnerships with global payroll providers and technology vendors

• Hold partners accountable through clearly defined service levels and performance expectations

• Continuously evaluate vendor performance, technology, and opportunities for improvement

• Lead vendor strategy, negotiations, and long-term partnerships to maximize value, service, and scalability

What Success Looks Like

• Build an engaged, high-performing team that enjoys working together

• Create a culture where people are empowered to solve problems and improve processes

• Deliver an exceptional employee payroll experience built on accuracy, responsiveness, and trust

• Modernize payroll operations through technology and automation

• Strengthen governance while simplifying how work gets done

• Become a trusted business partner to executive leadership

• Establish Payroll & HRIS as a strategic, scalable, and highly respected function within NAES

• Develop a strong leadership pipeline and organizational capability

• Leave the organization stronger than they found it

What We're Looking For

Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related discipline

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) required

• 12+ years of progressive payroll leadership, including significant global payroll responsibility

• Proven experience leading large-scale payroll transformation and HRIS modernization initiatives

• Experience managing complex international payroll operations across multiple jurisdictions

• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing teams

• Progressive leadership experience with increasing organizational scope and responsibility

• Experience partnering with executive leadership and cross-functional senior stakeholders

Leadership Competencies

We're looking for someone who brings both technical excellence and exceptional leadership.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• High emotional intelligence and self-awareness

• Executive presence with humility and authenticity

• Strong business and financial acumen

• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills

• Strategic thinking balanced with operational discipline

• Courage to make difficult decisions while leading with empathy

• Ability to inspire, coach, and develop others

• Intellectual curiosity and continuous learning

• A growth mindset with a passion for innovation

• Calm, thoughtful leadership during periods of change

• Ability to operate effectively at both the strategic and operational levels

• Ability to influence and align senior leaders across multiple functions

Working Relationships

• Reports to Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer

Compensation

The initial compensation will range from $167,900 to $193,100 depending on experience.