Job Description:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head - Payroll to lead and manage end-to-end payroll operations for a large banking organization. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing while driving payroll transformation, automation, governance, and employee experience initiatives.

The ideal candidate should currently be managing payroll operations for a workforce of 20,000+ employees in a large bank, financial institution, NBFC, or large corporate environment and possess strong expertise in payroll governance, statutory compliance, taxation, vendor management, and payroll technology platforms.

Key Responsibilities:

Payroll Operations & Governance:

- Lead end-to-end payroll operations for a workforce of 20,000+ employees across multiple locations.

- Ensure accurate and timely processing of monthly payroll, full-and-final settlements, bonus payouts, incentives, reimbursements, and statutory payments.

- Establish strong payroll controls, governance frameworks, and audit mechanisms.

- Ensure adherence to payroll policies, internal controls, and regulatory requirements.

Compliance & Regulatory Management:

- Ensure compliance with all applicable statutory regulations including Income Tax, Provident Fund (PF), Employee State Insurance (ESI), Professional Tax, Labour Laws, and Gratuity and Superannuation.

- Manage payroll audits, statutory audits, internal audits, and regulatory inspections.

- Ensure accurate tax deductions, reporting, and year-end payroll activities.

Payroll Transformation & Automation:

- Drive payroll digitization, automation, and process improvement initiatives.

- Partner with HR Technology and IT teams to enhance payroll systems and employee self-service capabilities.

- Lead payroll system upgrades, migrations, and implementation projects.

- Leverage analytics and dashboards to improve payroll efficiency and decision-making.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management:

- Manage relationships with payroll outsourcing partners, technology vendors, auditors, and consultants.

- Collaborate closely with HR, Finance, Taxation, Compliance, Internal Audit, and Business Leaders.

- Act as the escalation point for complex payroll-related matters.

Team Leadership:

- Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing payroll team.

- Establish service delivery standards and performance metrics.

- Drive capability building and succession planning within the payroll function.

MIS & Reporting:

- Provide payroll analytics and management reports to senior leadership.

- Monitor payroll accuracy, productivity, compliance metrics, and employee service levels.

- Support budgeting, manpower planning, and compensation-related reporting requirements.

Desired Candidate Profile:

Education:

- MBA / PGDM in HR, Finance, or related discipline.

- Professional certifications in Payroll, Taxation, or Compensation & Benefits will be an added advantage.

Experience:

- 15-20+ years of progressive experience in Payroll Operations.

- Must currently manage payroll for 20,000+ employees.

- Prior experience within Banks, Financial Institutions, NBFCs, Large Shared Services Organizations, or Large Corporates.

Technical Expertise:

- Deep understanding of payroll legislation, taxation, and labour law compliance.

- Hands-on experience with leading payroll platforms such as SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, Workday, ADP, Ramco, or equivalent systems.

- Strong exposure to payroll transformation and automation initiatives.

- Advanced Excel and payroll analytics capabilities.