Senior Director, Global Payroll
About the role
The Individual will be responsible for leading our global payroll function, including leading our in-house team of payroll professionals and maintaining strong relationships with our payroll vendors, as well as collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders and providing strategic guidance to optimize global payroll operations. This role leads a globally dispersed team and will play an integral role in fostering a performance-driven, employee-centric culture that is in line with Moderna’s growth.
Responsibilities
- Lead the global payroll team, consistently implementing process improvements and advancing automation initiatives.
- Own payroll operations across multiple countries with varying regulatory, tax, and employment frameworks, ensuring consistent global standards with appropriate local customization.
- Lead payroll readiness and execution for new country launches, including vendor selection, regulatory setup, process design, and integration into global payroll frameworks.
- Establish and enforce global payroll governance, including standardization of processes, controls, and vendor management across regions.
- Lead integration and oversight of payroll implications related to international mobility, cross-border employees, and multi-jurisdictional taxation.
- Oversee all monthly and biweekly payroll cycles, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and strict adherence to compliance standards.
- Rapidly identify and lead resolution of payroll issues on a global scale.
- Identify process inefficiencies and implement solutions to close any operational gaps.
- Proactively anticipate future needs, developing and refining processes to meet evolving demands.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to introduce new processes or recommend impactful changes.
- Own and lead the global payroll technology roadmap, including the implementation of new platforms, optimization of existing systems, and continuous enhancement to support global scale.
- Engage regularly with outsourced vendor teams to set, monitor, and uphold high service standards, ensuring exceptional performance.
- Monitor and manage payroll and employment tax-related communications and actions to ensure compliance.
- Oversee and reinforce internal controls, ensuring the team’s compliance with SOX standards.
- Partner closely with HR Operations, Compensation, Benefits, Equity, Global Mobility, Digital, and Finance teams to drive alignment and efficiency.
- Mentor, develop and acculturate a team – focusing on professional development, high frequency feedback/coaching and commitment to growth.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, or a related field. MBA, MSHR or similar advanced degree preferred but not required.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in global payroll, including leadership of large, geographically dispersed teams, global process optimization, and oversight of payroll operations across multiple regions.
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills – ability to raise issues proactively and bring a solution-first approach to your work.
- Fundamental understanding of corporate, individual and employment taxes that are directly impacted by payroll matters, spanning all typical forms of compensation and benefits, including salaries, cash bonuses, health insurance, retirement plans, and well-being benefits.
- Deep expertise in payroll implications of stock-based compensation (e.g., RSUs, stock options and performance-based RSUs), including taxation, reporting, and integration with payroll systems across multiple jurisdictions.
Qualifications
- Experience with establishing new processes and identifying/implementing innovative digital solutions.
- Experience working in a high growth, fast-paced global environment, in the technology, biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical industry – at scale.
- Public company experience preferred, due to knowledge required around stock-based compensation programs.
- CPP Certification is preferred.
- Exceptional leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to balance tactical and strategic responsibilities.
- Strong business and financial acumen, excellent communication skills, and the capability to influence and collaborate across all levels.
- Availability to travel as needed to meet strategic goals and support team functions.
Skills
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Process Improvement
- Global Payroll Management
- Strategic Planning
- Technology Implementation
- Financial Acumen
- Communication
- Team Building
- Leadership Development
- Performance Management
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Process Optimization
- Vendor Management
- Regulatory Compliance
- Employee Relations
- Payroll Systems
- Stock-Based Compensation
- International Mobility
- Global Taxation
- Internal Controls
- HR Operations
- Compensation
- Benefits
- Equity
- Global Mobility
- Digital Solutions
- Payroll Technology
- Payroll Automation
- Payroll Governance
- Payroll Readiness
- Payroll Execution
- Payroll Oversight
- Payroll Inefficiencies
- Payroll Issues Resolution
- Payroll Technology Roadmap
- Vendor Engagement
- Payroll Communications
- Payroll Compliance
- Internal Controls Reinforcement
- HR Team Collaboration
- Team Development
- Professional Development
- High Frequency Feedback
- Commitment to Growth
Benefits
Best-in-class healthcare coverage, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs. Holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support. Family planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support. Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown. Savings and investment opportunities to help you plan for the future. Location-specific perks and extras.
Pay & Schedule
The salary range for this role is $196,700.00 - $353,400.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An individual’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or equity award, subject to company plan eligibility criteria and individual performance.
Schedule
This role is based in our Cambridge, MA headquarters where you will be part of a strong, collaborative leadership ecosystem.