Senior Director, Global Payroll (Food Ingredients)

About the role

The Director, Global Payroll will lead the execution, implementation, and stabilization of the global payroll function for the Food Ingredients business as it transitions to a standalone organization. With a defined global payroll strategy and vendor model already in place, the role is accountable for delivering against the project plan — ensuring successful stand‑up across 45+ countries and approximately 5,700 employees while establishing a stable, compliant, and scalable payroll operation post‑go‑live. This is a hands‑on transformation and delivery leadership role focused on Day 1 readiness, implementation execution, operational excellence, and future‑state ownership of the steady‑state global payroll function. The role will also serve as the US Payroll Lead in the future‑state organization. Note: IFF has announced its intention to sell its Food Ingredients Business to CVC Capital Partners, with closure expected in the first half of 2027 pending regulatory approvals.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution, implementation, and stabilization of the global payroll function for the Food Ingredients business as it transitions to a standalone organization.
• Own delivery against the global payroll project plan, ensuring milestones, risks, dependencies, and readiness activities are actively managed.
• Drive Day 1 payroll readiness across 45+ countries and approximately 5,700 employees.
• Partner closely with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and cross‑functional teams to ensure successful payroll stand‑up and transition.
• Ensure payroll processes are compliant, scalable, and aligned with business, legal, tax, and regulatory requirements across countries.
• Support the transition from implementation to steady‑state operations, ensuring strong controls, governance, and service delivery.
• Lead vendor coordination and performance oversight, ensuring the defined vendor model is executed effectively.
• Establish operational excellence practices, including process documentation, issue resolution, service metrics, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the future‑state US Payroll Lead while maintaining global payroll leadership responsibilities.

Requirements

• Extensive global payroll leadership experience, ideally within a complex multinational organization.
• Strong experience leading payroll implementations, transitions, or transformation initiatives across multiple countries.
• Demonstrated ability to execute against large‑scale project plans with strong attention to milestones, risk management, and operational readiness.
• Deep understanding of payroll compliance, governance, controls, and country‑specific payroll requirements.
• Experience managing external payroll vendors and working within global vendor service delivery models.
• Ability to operate hands‑on while also providing strategic leadership and direction.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to partner across HR, Finance, Legal, Tax, IT, and business leadership.
• Experience supporting business transitions, carve‑outs, stand‑ups, shared services, or organizational transformation is highly valuable.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem‑sol