Director of Payroll - Global
Role Summary:
The Director of Payroll – Global Shared Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for multi-country payroll delivery within a centralized, global shared services model. This role is responsible for driving consistent, compliant, and scalable payroll operations across regions, while ensuring strong governance, internal controls, and financial rigor in a public company / SOX-regulated environment. The role serves as a key partner to Finance, HR, Internal Audit, and Technology and acts as a global payroll subject-matter expert, with deep experience leveraging ADP, CloudPay, and Workday, and owning payroll accruals, controls, and audit readiness at scale.
Key Responsibilities:
Global Payroll Oversight & Shared Services Leadership
• Provide strategic oversight for end-to-end global payroll operations delivered through a shared services model.
• Lead and develop global payroll teams supporting multiple regions and countries.
• Serve as the primary global escalation point for complex payroll issues, controls, and risk events.
• Drive alignment between in-country payroll execution and global payroll standards.
Governance, Risk & SOX Controls
• Own and maintain global payroll governance frameworks, including SOPs, segregation of duties, and approval workflows.
• Ensure payroll processes comply with SOX and internal control requirements.
• Partner with Internal Audit and External Audit to support walkthroughs, testing, and remediation.
• Identify and mitigate payroll-related risks across regions, vendors, and systems.
Financial Management, Accruals & Close
• Own global payroll accrual processes including wages, bonuses, commissions, leave, severance, and statutory costs.
• Partner with Finance on month-end and year-end close, GL postings, and reconciliations.
• Ensure payroll data is audit-ready and supports public company reporting standards.
Payroll Systems & Technology Enablement
• Provide leadership and oversight for ADP, CloudPay, and Workday payroll ecosystems.
• Partner with HRIS, Finance Systems, and IT to optimize integrations and controls.
• Support global payroll implementations, vendor transitions, and system upgrades.
Vendor & Stakeholder Management
• Manage relationships with global payroll vendors and advisors.
• Monitor SLAs and performance metrics.
• Act as a trusted partner to HR, Total Rewards, Finance, and Audit stakeholders.
Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement
• Drive standardization and scalability across payroll operations.
• Identify automation and risk-reduction opportunities.
• Support long-term payroll transformation initiatives.
Required Qualifications
• 12+ years of progressive payroll experience with global and/or shared services leadership.
• Experience operating in a public company or SOX-controlled environment.
• Hands-on experience with ADP, CloudPay, and Workday.
• Deep expertise in payroll accruals, reconciliations, and financial close.
• Experience managing multi-country payroll operations.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience building or scaling global payroll shared services or centers of excellence.
• Payroll transformation or global system implementation experience.
• Exposure to internal controls, audits, and risk management.
• MBA, CPA, or payroll certification preferred.
What Success Looks Like
• Accurate, compliant, and timely global payroll delivery.
• Strong SOX-aligned governance and control environment.
• Clean audits with minimal findings.
• Scalable payroll technology and processes.
• High-performing global payroll teams.
Company Summary:
Zeta Global is a NYSE listed data-powered marketing technology company with a heritage of innovation and industry leadership. Founded in 2007 by entrepreneur David A. Steinberg and John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Inc and Pepsi-Cola, the Company combines the industry’s 3rd largest proprietary data set (2.4B+ identities) with Artificial Intelligence to unlock consumer intent, personalize experiences and help our clients drive business growth.
Our technology runs on the Zeta Marketing Platform, which powers ‘end to end’ marketing programs for some of the world’s leading brands. With expertise encompassing all digital marketing channels – Email, Display, Social, Search and Mobile – Zeta orchestrates acquisition and engagement programs that deliver results that are scalable, repeatable and sustainable.
Zeta Global is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ancestry, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, medical condition, disability, veterans’ status, or any other basis protected by law.
Zeta Global Recognized in Enterprise Marketing Software and Cross-Channel Campaign Management Reports by Independent Research Firm.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleykohan/2024/0c/1S/amazon-partners-with-zeta-global-to-deliver-gen- ai-marketing-automation/ https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/05/0c/zeta-global-ceo-david-steinberg-talks-ai-in-focus-at-milken- conference.html
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240S04c22808/en/Zeta-Increases-3Ǫ24-Guidance
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zeta-global-opens-ai--data-labs-in-san-francisco-and-nyc- 300S45353.html
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zeta-global-recognized-in-enterprise-marketing-software-and- cross-channel-campaign-management-reports-by-independent-research-firm-300S38241.html
Skills Required
- 12+ years of progressive payroll experience with global and/or shared services leadership
- Experience operating in a public company or SOX-controlled environment
- Hands-on experience with ADP, CloudPay, and Workday
- Deep expertise in payroll accruals, reconciliations, and financial close
- Experience managing multi-country payroll operations
- Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
What the Team is Saying
Zeta Global Compensation & Benefits Highlights
How does Zeta Global ensure its pay and bonus plans are competitive?
Zeta Global supports competitive compensation through a mix of base pay, equity, performance incentives, financial benefits and employee feedback-informed rewards. The company’s total rewards approach connects compensation with ownership, financial planning and benefits that support employees’ broader well-being.
- Competitive pay and incentives: Zeta lists competitive pay, equity, performance bonuses and an employee stock purchase plan as part of its compensation and total rewards offerings. Employees also describe compensation as a strength. A software engineer said Zeta offers “good compensation,” “best appraisals and pay raise” and a “supportive work environment,” while a director cited “compensation” as one of the strengths of the company.
- Equity and ownership: Zeta offers company equity and an employee stock purchase plan, giving employees ways to participate in the company’s growth. Its broader financial benefits also include a 401(k) with company match, monthly financial workshops, commuter benefits and insurance coverage, reinforcing compensation as part of a larger financial wellness package.
- Performance-oriented rewards: Employee reviews describe Zeta’s compensation as tied to performance and growth. One employee said, “Zeta pays well,” while another said compensation is “within industry range and revised every year.” A finance analyst cited “great incentives,” and a director described Zeta as a place to “shape your career” with room to move up. (Comparably; Glassdoor reviews; Indeed reviews)
- Benefits that strengthen total rewards: Zeta’s rewards package extends beyond pay through health, dental and vision insurance, mental health benefits, pet insurance, flexible time off, parental leave, adoption assistance, fertility and family-building support, travel assistance for reproductive health procedures, volunteer days and wellness resources. The company also says it uses wellness surveys and employee feedback to shape benefits updates, including expanded parental leave and adoption assistance.
- External signals:
- Compensation sentiment: Employees on external review sites describe Zeta’s compensation as “good,” “great” and competitive, with reviews citing pay raises, incentives, benefits and performance-based earning potential. (Glassdoor reviews; Indeed reviews; Comparably)
- Benefits signals: External profile data lists company equity, performance bonuses, an employee stock purchase plan and a home-office stipend for remote employees.
- Financial wellness: Zeta’s benefits include 401(k) matching, financial workshops, insurance coverage and employee stock purchase participation.
Bottom line: Zeta Global’s compensation approach combines competitive pay, performance incentives, equity, stock purchase access and broad benefits, giving employees both near-term rewards and longer-term financial participation in the company’s growth.
Zeta Global Insights
What We Do
Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA) is the AI Marketing Cloud that leverages advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and trillions of consumer signals to make it easier for marketers to acquire, grow, and retain customers more efficiently. Through the Zeta Marketing Platform (ZMP), our vision is to make sophisticated marketing simple by unifying identity, intelligence, and omnichannel activation into a single platform – powered by one of the industry’s largest proprietary databases and AI. Our enterprise customers across multiple verticals are empowered to personalize experiences with consumers at an individual level across every channel, delivering better results for marketing programs. Zeta was founded in 2007 by David A. Steinberg and John Sculley and is headquartered in New York City with offices around the world.
Why Work With Us
At Zeta, people have the freedom to think creatively, take initiative, and grow. We value curiosity, innovation, and teamwork, empowering everyone to use AI and technology in smarter ways to drive impact for clients, consumers, and each other while shaping the future together.
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Zeta Global Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
