Global Payroll Manager

INTRODUCTION:

University of the People (UoPeople) is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American, accredited, 100% online university. Today, UoPeople has over 170,000 students enrolled from more than 200 countries and territories, including 18,800 students who are refugees. UoPeople is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) .

We believe that higher education is a basic human right and that it can transform not only the lives of students, but also their families' lives, their communities, their nations, and, by extension, the world. See President Reshef’s TED talk when he announced the founding of the University.[ TED talk ]

UoPeople is an innovative university, and we welcome team members who bring creativity and innovation to their roles. We’re a fast-paced organization with remote teams all around the globe. If you’re a self-starter who wants to succeed alongside a passionate team, we’d love to hear from you!

UoPeople is supported by the generosity of individuals and foundations, including the Gates, Hewlett, Ford Foundations, Foundation Hoffmann, and others. The University has been covered by the New York Times, BBC, NPR, Times Higher Education, US News and World Report, and more. President Reshef’s TED Talk and Nas Daily interview about the University have 30 million views combined.

Role overviewed:

The Global Payroll Manager is responsible for building, scaling, and managing the organization’s payroll operations worldwide. This role ensures that employees across multiple global jurisdictions (including the US, India, and other international locations) are paid accurately, on time, and in full compliance with local tax and labor regulations.

The ideal candidate is a process-oriented leader who ensures financial integrity and provides the accounting team with accurate, structured data for financial reporting

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Global Payroll Execution: Oversee and manage the full cycle of payroll processing for all international locations, ensuring 100% accuracy and strict adherence to deadlines.
• Compliance & Tax Management: Ensure compliance with local tax regulations, statutory requirements, and labor laws across all active regions. Stay current on regulatory changes and proactively adapt processes as new countries are added. Support annual filings and reporting in each jurisdiction.
• PEO/ EOR Relations Management: Manage relationships with third-party payroll providers (PEOs, EORs, or local bureaus). Evaluate their performance and lead implementation or migration of new payroll systems to ensure scalability.
• Internal Controls & Audit: build, develop and maintain robust internal controls and workflows for payroll processes. Ensure accuracy and compliance in year-end reporting across all regions (e.g., W-, Form 16, and other jurisdiction-specific requirements).
• Finance Interface & Reporting: Prepare monthly and quarterly payroll-to-GL reconciliations. Provide the accounting team with structured, accounting-ready data for G/L entry and ensure costs are correctly allocated to budget items.
• Process Buildings & Improvement: Design and build scalable payroll processes and reporting frameworks. Identify and implement opportunities to automate manual workflows between external payroll vendors and internal financial systems to support global scalability.
• Payroll Cost Analysis: analyze payroll costs across all regions, identifying trends and variances.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: 12-15 years of experience in payroll, with at least 3 years in a Manager-level role overseeing complex, multi-country payroll operations.
• Global & Regional Expertise: Proven experience managing payroll across multiple regions (including US and India). Strong ability to research and adapt to payroll regulations in new and diverse markets. Flexibility and proactiveness are essential.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field. Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or similar international certification is preferred.
• Technical Skills: High proficiency in global payroll platforms. Experience with Deel is a strong advantage. Advanced Excel skills and familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP) to facilitate data transfer.
• Communication: Excellent English (written and verbal) with the ability to communicate complex financial and compliance matters to stakeholders across different cultures, and high level of interpersonal communication skills.