Director, Global Payroll

Under Armour, Inc; Baltimore (MD); Hybrid; USD 155,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Volunteer Days

Parental Leave

Wellness benefits

Job summary

Under Armour, Inc. is seeking a Director of Global Payroll & HR Operations to lead the enterprise payroll function for 15,000 teammates worldwide. The role sets the global payroll strategy, drives modernization, and partners with HR, Finance, and Legal to build a scalable, compliant payroll ecosystem.

Hybrid work from Baltimore HQ, with 4 in-office days weekly. The incumbent will manage payroll governance, SOX controls, and vendor strategy while ensuring timely, accurate payroll delivery across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, HR, or related field.
• 12+ years of payroll experience, including global payroll and tax exposure.
• 5+ years of people leadership in a multinational organization.
• Experience in the retail industry or a similarly complex organization.
• Experience managing relationships with payroll platforms, particularly ADP.
• Experience in accounting and corporate finance matters.
• Experience with SuccessFactors Employee Central is a plus.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide payroll transformations and system implementations.
• Deep and credible technical expertise.
• Influences stakeholders to align on common objectives and decisions.
• Develops the capabilities of the payroll team.
• Creative and analytical; takes a practical approach to problem solving.
• Excellent customer service focus and experience.
• Communicates effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Manages multiple projects and works in multiple systems simultaneously.
• Responds flexibly as organizational requirements and systems change.
• High degree of integrity, confidentiality, and discretion with sensitive data.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a global payroll strategy aligned with UA’s people, financial, and operational priorities.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing global payroll organization with clear goals, capabilities, and succession planning.
• Champion a culture of data stewardship, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery for all teammates across 25+ countries, ensuring consistency in global standards.
• Ensure compliance with all global, federal, state, and local payroll, tax, and wage regulations.
• Manage payroll governance, including global SOX controls, audits, quarterly certifications, and risk remediation.
• Own payroll and timekeeping platforms, partnering on system roadmap and integration strategy (e.g., ADP, Globalview, SuccessFactors EC, Workforce Management, Celergo).
• Drive modernization of global payroll data flow, automation, and AI-enabled process improvement to reduce manual work and increase accuracy.
• Establish global KPIs and dashboards for payroll performance, efficiency, and service delivery.
• Partner with Accounting on monthly, quarterly, and year-end close, ensuring payroll results are fully reconciled to the GL with clear ownership of all payroll-related accounts.
• Align Payroll and Accounting SOX controls, ensuring end-to-end documentation across system interfaces, GL posting, and journal approval workflows.
• Ensure timely completion of quarterly and year-end processes (e.g., 941s, W-2s, annual statements).
• Collaborate with Accounting on process improvements, automation opportunities, and standardization of global financial processes tied to compensation.
• Lead strategic management of global and regional payroll vendors, contracts, and service levels.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with HR, FP&A, Accounting, Tax, Legal, and Technology to support business needs and global expansion.
• Serve as subject matter expert on global workforce impacts on payroll.
• Ensure rigorous, documented processes, policies, and procedures across all regions.
• Oversee regular audits to validate accuracy of earnings, taxes, deductions, and compliance.
• Identify and mitigate risks proactively to protect the company and its employees.

Skills

Global payroll leadership

Strategic planning

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Data governance

Analytical thinking

Process improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, HR, or related field

Tools

ADP

GlobalView

SuccessFactors EC

Workforce Management

Celergo

Job description

Director, Global Payroll & HR Operations

Head of Global Payroll leads Under Armour’s enterprise payroll function, overseeing end‑to‑end payroll operations for 15,000 teammates worldwide. This leader sets the global payroll strategy, elevates operational excellence, and drives modernization of payroll platforms, data flow, and processes. They partner closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Legal, Technology, and regional leadership teams to build a scalable, compliant, digital‑first payroll ecosystem. This leader owns payroll governance, vendor strategy, process optimization, analytics, risk management, and payroll experience across all regions.

Your Impact

• Develop and execute a global payroll strategy aligned with UA’s people, financial, and operational priorities.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing global payroll organization with clear goals, capabilities, and succession planning.
• Champion a culture of data stewardship, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.

Global Payroll Operations

• Oversee accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery for all teammates across 25+ countries, ensuring consistency in global standards.
• Ensure compliance with all global, federal, state, and local payroll, tax, and wage regulations.
• Manage payroll governance, including global SOX controls, audits, quarterly certifications, and risk remediation.

Technology, Data & Process Modernization

• Own payroll and timekeeping platforms, partnering on system roadmap and integration strategy (e.g., ADP, Globalview, SuccessFactors EC, Workforce Management, Celergo).
• Drive modernization of global payroll data flow, automation, and AI‑enabled process improvement to reduce manual work and increase accuracy.
• Establish global KPIs and dashboards for payroll performance, efficiency, and service delivery.

Accounting Operations & Controls

• Partner with Accounting on monthly, quarterly, and year‑end close, ensuring payroll results are fully reconciled to the GL with clear ownership of all payroll‑related accounts (accruals, taxes, benefits, stock comp, bonuses, PTO, etc.).
• Align Payroll and Accounting SOX controls, ensuring end‑to‑end documentation across system interfaces, GL posting, and journal approval workflows.
• Ensure timely completion of quarterly and year‑end processes (e.g., 941s, W‑2s, annual statements).
• Collaborate with Accounting on process improvements, automation opportunities, and standardization of global financial processes tied to compensation.

Vendor, Stakeholder & Cross‑Functional Partnership

• Lead strategic management of global and regional payroll vendors, contracts, and service levels.
• Build strong cross‑functional relationships with HR, FP&A, Accounting, Tax, Legal, and Technology to support business needs and global expansion.
• Serve as subject matter expert on global workforce impacts on payroll.
• Ensure rigorous, documented processes, policies, and procedures across all regions.
• Oversee regular audits to validate accuracy of earnings, taxes, deductions, and compliance.
• Identify and mitigate risks proactively to protect the company and its employees.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, HR, or related field.
• 12+ years of payroll experience, including global payroll and tax exposure.
• 5+ years of people leadership in a multinational organization.
• Experience in the retail industry or a similarly complex organization.
• Experience managing relationships with payroll platforms, particularly ADP.
• Experience in accounting and corporate finance matters.
• Experience with SuccessFactors Employee Central is a plus.
• Experience leading enterprise‑wide payroll transformations and system implementations.
• Deep and credible technical expertise.
• Influences stakeholders to align on common objectives and decisions.
• Develops the capabilities of the payroll team.
• Creative and analytical; takes a practical approach to problem solving.
• Excellent customer service focus and experience.
• Communicates effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Manages multiple projects and works in multiple systems simultaneously.
• Responds flexibly as organizational requirements and systems change.
• High degree of integrity, confidentiality, and discretion with sensitive data.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred.

Workplace Location

• Location: This individual must reside within commuting distance from our Baltimore (HQ) office.
• Work Schedule: This role follows a hybrid work schedule, requiring 4 days in‑office per week.

Relocation

• No relocation provided.

Base Compensation

$155,000.00-$200,000.00USD

Most new hires fall within this range and have the opportunity to earn more over time. Initial placement within the salary range, however, is based on an individual's relevant knowledge, skills and experience for the position. UA is committed to helping our teammates succeed and advance in their careers. Base salary is only one component of our competitive Total Rewards package.

• Paid UA Give Back Volunteer Days: Work alongside your team to support initiatives in your local community.
• Maternity and Parental Leave for eligible and FMLA-eligible teammates.
• Health & fitness benefits, discounts and resources—We offer teammates across the country programs to promote physical activity and overall well‑being.

Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity

At Under Armour, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, family or paternal status and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Under Armour seeks to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people representing a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact our Human Resources team via [e-mail].