Senior Director, Global Payroll

About the Role

The Senior Director, Global Payroll leads strategy and execution of Light & Wonder’s global payroll operations to ensure accurate, compliant, and scalable delivery across all regions. This critical role enables business continuity, mitigates regulatory risk, and establishes strong governance and operational consistency while driving continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Direct global payroll operations, ensuring accurate and timely processing across all regions.
• Define and implement payroll policies, controls, and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Manage payroll systems, data integrity, and external partners to support operational effectiveness and scalability.
• Identify and execute process improvements to enhance efficiency, standardization, and service delivery.
• Lead, develop, and evaluate a global payroll team to ensure strong performance and capability development.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to support business initiatives, workforce changes, and risk management.
• Provide oversight and support for payroll readiness during organizational changes, including acquisitions and restructures.
• Ensure alignment of payroll operations, practices, and team behaviors with Light & Wonder’s vision, mission, and values.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Outcomes:

• Consistently deliver accurate, timely, and compliant payroll across all regions, with strong audit outcomes and effective mitigation of regulatory and financial risk.
• Stabilize, establish, and sustain a globally consistent payroll framework, including policies, controls, and processes that support business growth, organizational complexity, and geographic expansion.
• Lead payroll transformation initiatives (e.g., system optimization, automation, vendor rationalization), focusing on standardization and sustainable improvements in efficiency, cycle times, and employee experience.
• Ensure stable, controlled, and resilient payroll operations that effectively support organizational changes with minimal disruption.
• Build strong, trusted partnerships with People Capabilities, Finance, Legal, and Tax to proactively address business needs and drive alignment.
• Develop a high-performing global payroll team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of progressive payroll experience, including managing global payroll operations across multiple countries and regions.
• 5+ years of leadership experience overseeing global payroll teams, including distributed or multi-region teams.
• Experience across both in-house and outsourced payroll models.
• Experience leading payroll system implementations or enhancements (e.g., ADP, Workday, or similar platforms) preferred.

Skills

• Ability to lead and operate effectively in a complex, global environment, balancing strategic priorities with operational execution.
• Strong knowledge of global payroll processes and the ability to navigate complex compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to establish structure, drive consistency, and maintain control in a dynamic and evolving business environment.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex issues, identify root causes, and implement practical, sustainable solutions.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and align diverse stakeholders across functions and levels.
• Ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to anticipate risks and proactively develop mitigation strategies to ensure continuity and operational stability.

Location & Schedule

This position is based in Las Vegas, NV. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates. The role requires a minimum of four days per week in the office and 25%–30% travel.

Pay

The targeted pay range for this role is $170,000–$180,000. The total compensation package may also include an annual performance bonus. Actual compensation is based on factors such as skill set, depth of experience, specific work geography, and internal equity.