Global Payroll Leader: AI-Driven Compliance & Growth

Moody's Investors Service; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Moody's Investors Service is seeking a senior Global Payroll lead to drive governance, compliance, and continuous improvement across APAC and EMEA, ensuring adherence to local regulations and global payroll standards.

You will manage vendor relationships, support audits, and partner with People, Finance, Tax, Legal, Benefits, and Technology to deliver accurate and scalable payroll, while advancing automation and responsible AI initiatives across a multinational environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Relevant payroll, finance, or compliance-related certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive payroll excellence across APAC and EMEA by leading governance, compliance, operational improvements, vendor management, reporting, and strategic payroll initiatives that support business objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee payroll governance activities across APAC and EMEA, ensuring compliance with local statutory requirements, company policies, and global payroll standards.
• Monitor legislative, tax, social security, and employment law changes and coordinate implementation of required updates with internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate payroll compliance and operational risks through robust controls and governance frameworks.
• Support internal and external audits, compliance reviews, regulatory inquiries, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Lead continuous improvement, automation, and digital transformation initiatives to enhance payroll efficiency, accuracy, scalability, and employee experience.
• Drive process standardization and maintain payroll policies, procedures, control frameworks, and standard operating documentation across the region.
• Lead and support payroll projects, including system implementations, transformations, integrations, acquisitions, reorganizations, and regulatory initiatives.
• Manage relationships with payroll providers, conduct vendor performance reviews, and ensure service delivery meets business and compliance expectations.
• Serve as a key liaison between Payroll and stakeholders across People, Finance, Tax, Legal, Benefits, Technology, and external advisors.
• Develop and maintain payroll reporting, dashboards, KPIs, and management insights to measure performance, compliance, and operational effectiveness.
• Analyse payroll data and trends to identify risks, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities while supporting audit readiness and governance activities.
• Partner with Payroll leadership to support payroll strategy, governance priorities, and operational improvement initiatives.
• Provide regional payroll subject matter expertise across compliance, controls, reporting, and payroll best practices.

Skills

Excel advanced

Payroll governance

Regulatory compliance

Audit readiness

Vendor management

Cross-cultural collaboration

AI in payroll

Risk management

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance

Payroll/compliance certifications preferred

Job description

Moody's Investors Service is seeking a senior Global Payroll lead to drive governance, compliance, and continuous improvement across APAC and EMEA, ensuring adherence to local regulations and global payroll standards.

You will manage vendor relationships, support audits, and partner with People, Finance, Tax, Legal, Benefits, and Technology to deliver accurate and scalable payroll, while advancing automation and responsible AI initiatives across a multinational environment.