Global Payroll Leader: AI-Driven Automation & Workday

3M HEALTHCARE; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 163,000 - 245,000; Full time

Job summary

Zendesk is seeking a Senior Payroll Manager to lead the global payroll evolution, championing AI-powered insights and intelligent automation across our operations. You will report to the Senior Director of Global Payroll and collaborate with HRIS/IT, People Ops, Legal, Tax, Equity, and Accounting to drive a scalable payroll platform.

Key responsibilities include modernizing end-to-end payroll operations, managing Workday and CloudPay integrations, and delivering automated, auditable processes

Qualifications

• 8+ years building and leading global payroll technology ecosystems.
• Expert in Workday Payroll with strong process knowledge.
• Experience integrating CloudPay or similar providers with ERP systems.
• Forward-thinking approach to AI-enabled payroll automation.
• Ability to translate operational needs into automated solutions.
• Strong data analytics skills using Excel or similar tools.
• Proven collaboration with HRIS/IT, Legal, Finance, and others.

Responsibilities

• Lead and modernize end-to-end payroll operations globally.
• Oversee integrations with Workday, CloudPay, and ERP systems.
• Automate full payroll lifecycle including equity awards and incentives.
• Translate complex requirements into scalable technical architecture.
• Ensure compliance and risk management with AI-enabled monitoring.
• Drive global transformation projects including migrations and M&A.
• Provide predictive insights from payroll data to leadership.

Skills

Systems architecture

Workday Payroll

Systems integration

AI mindset

Technical implementation

Data analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Workday

CloudPay

Job description

Zendesk is seeking a Senior Payroll Manager to lead the global payroll evolution, championing AI-powered insights and intelligent automation across our operations. You will report to the Senior Director of Global Payroll and collaborate with HRIS/IT, People Ops, Legal, Tax, Equity, and Accounting to drive a scalable payroll platform.

Key responsibilities include modernizing end-to-end payroll operations, managing Workday and CloudPay integrations, and delivering automated, auditable processes