Payroll Operations Manager, India - GBS

Kimberly-Clark; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Kimberly-Clark in Pune, India, is seeking a Payroll Lead to manage payroll operations across assigned regions within our Global Business Services. You will handle monthly payroll and attendance, collaborate with external providers, and drive process improvements to ensure accuracy and compliance.

You will partner with HR and Finance, build strong stakeholder relationships, and mentor a small payroll team. Strong knowledge of UKG, Kronos, SAP, and Workday for multi-country payroll is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• Experience leading payroll operations within multinational or GBS/SSS environments.
• Proven ability to lead payroll operations independently or with a small team.
• Strong understanding of payroll processes, controls, compliance, and time & attendance systems.
• Track record of process optimization and working with outsourced payroll providers.
• Excellent stakeholder management with HR, Finance, and business teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team responsible for monthly payroll and time & attendance cycles for countries within scope.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across assigned countries.
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers and address issues.
• Identify and implement payroll process improvements and automation opportunities.
• Provide payroll expertise for system implementations and updates.
• Develop and communicate payroll policies and procedures across stakeholders.
• Act as escalation point for payroll queries from employees and leaders.
• Ensure compliance with local laws, company policies, and internal controls.
• Monitor service levels, KPIs, and operational effectiveness.
• Support payroll audits and maintain documentation and records.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to boost accuracy and efficiency.

Skills

Payroll operations

Vendor management

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Deadline management

Leadership

GBS experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Finance

Tools

UKG

Kronos

SAP

Workday

Job description

Join the team behind iconic brands like Huggies®, Kleenex®, Cottonelle®, Scott®, Kotex®, Poise®, Depend®, and Kimberly-Clark Professional®. At Kimberly-Clark, it’s all here for you—innovation, growth, and the chance to make a real impact.

You’re not the person who will settle for just any role. Neither are we. Because we’re out to create Better Care for a Better World, and that takes a certain kind of person and teams who care about making a difference. Here, you’ll bring your expertise, talent, and leadership to help deliver world‑class payroll services that support our employees globally. It starts with YOU.

About You

As part of Global Business Services (GBS), reporting to the Payroll Associate Director, EMEA & APAC, you will lead payroll operations for assigned countries while ensuring payroll accuracy, compliance, and exceptional service delivery. This role is responsible for managing payroll and time & attendance processes, partnering with payroll providers, and driving continuous improvement initiatives across the payroll function.

You will collaborate closely with HR, Finance, managers, employees, and external payroll providers to ensure payroll operations are delivered efficiently and compliantly. Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and process improvement skills are essential for success in this role.

Job responsibilities include:

• Lead a team responsible for managing the monthly payroll and time & attendance cycles for countries within scope.

• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across assigned countries.

• Manage relationships and service delivery from external payroll providers, taking corrective actions where required.

• Proactively identify and recommend process improvements, efficiencies, and automation opportunities.

• Provide payroll and time & attendance expertise for system implementations, upgrades, and process changes.

• Develop, maintain, and communicate payroll policies and procedures to ensure clear accountability across employees, managers, HR, Finance, and service providers.

• Act as the escalation point for payroll‑related queries from employees, leaders, and internal stakeholders.

• Ensure compliance with local legislation, company policies, and internal controls.

• Monitor payroll service levels, performance metrics, and operational effectiveness.

• Support payroll audits and maintain accurate documentation and records.

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance payroll accuracy, employee experience, and operational efficiency.

To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field.

• Strong experience in payroll operations, preferably within a multinational, Global Business Services (GBS), or Shared Services environment.

• Previous experience leading payroll operations independently or managing a small team.

• Strong understanding of payroll processes, controls, compliance requirements, and time & attendance systems.

• Demonstrated ability to build, optimize, and continuously improve payroll processes.

• Experience working with outsourced payroll providers and managing vendor performance.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to build strong relationships across HR, Finance, and business teams.

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.

• Ability to work accurately and effectively under tight deadlines and competing priorities.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with UKG, Kronos, SAP, Workday, or similar payroll and workforce management systems.

• Experience supporting multi‑country payroll operations.

• Knowledge of payroll compliance and employer obligations across EMEA and/or APAC regions.

• Exposure to process improvement methodologies and operational excellence initiatives.

• Experience working within a Global Business Services (GBS) environment.

Led by Purpose. Driven by You.

In the meantime, please check out the careers website.

And finally, the fine print….

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world. We actively seek to build a workforce that reflects the experiences of our consumers. When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

Employment is subject to verification of local policies.

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