Director of Global Payroll, Mobility and Systems

FLSmidth Cement•Allentown, PA

10d

About The Position

The Director of Global Payroll, Mobility and Systems will serve as a key strategic leader reporting to the CHRO, responsible for designing, transitioning, and scaling a modern global payroll function for a newly independent, high‑growth U.S.–based company carved out from a m, Mobility and Systems multi‑billion‑dollar EU parent. This role will oversee end‑to-end global payroll operations, global mobility, and the configuration and administration of the company’s HCM system, ensuring accuracy, compliance, efficiency, and an excellent employee experience across a growing workforce of 1,800 employees in multiple countries. Operating within the parameters of a Transition Services Agreement (TSA), the Director will lead the seamless migration from the legacy EU‑based payroll model to a new, scalable, lean, and flexible structure that supports accelerated growth, innovation, and ongoing organizational transformation. This leader will build, develop, and inspire a global team while partnering closely with HR, Finance, IT, Legal, Operations, and the private equity operating group to align payroll processes with business needs, integrate with enterprise systems, and uphold global standards. Energized by significant investment, simplified decision‑making, and a re‑invigorated workforce, the Director will play a foundational role in shaping the company’s future.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field required; advanced degree or CPP certification preferred
10+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience, including 5+ years in a senior/global role managing multi-country payroll operations
Proven ability to deliver results on time and within budget in complex, fast-paced environments
Strong leadership with high ownership, accountability, and a bias for action
Ability to make sound decisions quickly and manage multiple priorities under pressure
Comfortable working under senior stakeholder scrutiny and high accountability environments
Agile and pragmatic mindset with strong attention to detail and balanced judgment
Strong knowledge of HR, payroll, compensation & benefits, labor relations, and accounting principles
Excellent English communication skills (written and verbal) with executive-level reporting experience
Experience in vendor management and cross-cultural stakeholder engagement
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
Ability to translate strategy into execution and drive outcomes across global teams

Responsibilities

Rapidly evaluate the inherited payroll landscape,including vendor contracts, processes, compliance risk exposure, technology, and global country coverage, ensuring every location and employee population is fully accounted for.
Lead the migration of all global employees to newly selected payroll system(s) with a strong focus on data integrity, compliance, operational continuity, and positive employee experience.
Partner closely with the private equity Operating Team to stabilize operations during the TSA period while simultaneously building scalable processes, controls, workflows, and reporting structures.
Work with the CHRO, ELT, and cross‑functional partners to understand growth plans, workforce strategy, and acquisition pipeline to ensure payroll architecture scales effectively with business needs.
Define and execute a global payroll strategy and roadmap encompassing people, process, technology, compliance, integrations, and future scalability.
Ensure full compliance with all global, federal, state, and local payroll regulations. Monitor regulatory changes worldwide and implement proactive updates.
Standardize, document, and optimize global payroll processes. Implement internal controls, audits, and
Collaborate with HRIS, IT, and Finance to integrate payroll with HCM, timekeeping, and financial systems, maximizing automation, data consistency, and end‑to‑end workflow reliability.
Develop repeatable, global payroll playbooks to support integration of newly acquired entities and employee groups across geographies with accuracy and speed.
Employee Experience: Ensure payroll operations deliver accuracy, timeliness, and responsiveness, building high trust and reinforcing the company’s employer-of-choice position.
Oversee configuration, continuous improvement, and governance of the HCM platform to ensure data reliability, streamlined workflows, and cohesive integration with payroll and time systems.
Lead global HCM administration including security, permissions, business process workflows, data audits, and release management to ensure system stability and adoption.
Build and maintain payroll and HCM dashboards, KPIs, and analytics that provide transparency to the CHRO, ELT, and Finance on key metrics such as accuracy, cycle time, compliance risk, mobility costs, and workforce data trends.
Build, lead, and coach a high-performing global payroll and HRIS team. Foster a culture of accountability, excellence, service, and continuous improvement.
Serve as a trusted advisor to HR, Finance, Legal, Tax, Treasury, IT, and Operations, ensuring payroll and HCM processes align with business direction and global workforce needs.
Serve as the enterprise subject matter expert on global payroll compliance, tax requirements, mobility implications, and reporting obligations.
Lead vendor management and strategic partnerships, ensuring performance against SLAs and continuous improvement expectations.
Develop and manage the functional budget, ensuring spend aligns with EBITDA goals and ROI commitments.
Partner with Finance on payroll funding, audits, reconciliations, and tax filings.
Act as the executive escalation point for payroll issues requiring rapid, senior-level intervention.
Continuously assess emerging payroll, mobility, and HCM technologies, recommending modernization opportunities.
Model and reinforce a continuous improvement (CI) mindset, actively eliminating inefficiencies and rejecting “not my job” behaviors.
Other job duties as assigned.