Head of Payroll - EMEA, APAC and India

As the Head of Payroll for EMEA, APAC and India you will lead a team and play a critical role within our Global Payroll Services team to ensure deliverables across these regions are met, compliant, and aligned with company policies. This role reports into our Head of Global Payroll.

Responsibilities

• Lead the global payroll strategy in EMEA/APAC/India, ensuring scalability, compliance, and alignment with business growth plans.
• Accountable for the payroll team output in all areas including payroll processing, financial reporting, statutory reporting, and analysis.
• Approve payroll and employment tax payments as required.
• Lead, mentor and coach the payroll team supporting EMEA, APAC and India.
• Own the global payroll systems landscape and drive standardisation, automation, and vendor consolidation where appropriate.
• Create payroll team policies and controls, ensure they are followed and aligned with global controls, and contribute to stakeholder policies that impact payroll and employment tax issues.
• Lead payroll risk management, audits, and internal controls (including SOX where applicable); test SOX controls managed by the team and collaborate with the financial reporting team to ensure reasonable timelines and audit scopes.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, and external advisors to manage compliance risks, maintain controls, and contribute to the HR global strategy.
• Deal with escalated queries from stakeholders and third parties, including local authorities in each country.
• Develop KPIs, dashboards, and reporting to measure performance and accuracy in your region.
• Lead payroll projects and ensure representation in other stakeholder projects that impact payroll.
• Manage vendor relationships, ensuring governance is upheld and vendor risk is reduced to a minimum.
• Ensure employment tax tasks internationally are handled by the team and assist on complex issues.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in both UK and international payroll, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory and legal requirements that govern payroll and benefits.
• Ability to accurately interpret these laws within the framework of company policies and culture; proactively monitor legislative changes and assess payroll impact across jurisdictions.
• A strong background in report writing is required, including the preparation of proposals and recommendations related to payroll matters; evidence of strategic thinking and thought leadership through experience.
• Hands‑on experience with vendor management and governance to ensure effective oversight and risk mitigation; thorough knowledge of payroll and tax processes, associated procedures, and the regulatory environment; familiarity with benefits and pension administration is also expected.
• Strong communication and influencing skills are vital, alongside a high degree of professionalism, to effectively interact with stakeholders, vendors, and team members.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including leading and developing international payroll teams, with accountability for performance, delivery against deadlines, and capability building within a complex, regulated environment.

Working Conditions

Employees are expected to work in the office at least four (4) days per week, with flexibility to work from home one (1) day per week. Some roles may require additional in‑office time or different in‑office expectations, and specific requirements will be discussed during the hiring process.

Employment Type

This is a full‑time, permanent position.

Equal Opportunity & Accessibility

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to racial or ethnic background, religion or belief, sex or gender, nationality, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, or any other basis prohibited by law. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to aid your participation in the application or interview process, speak to your recruiter to discuss how we can support you.