Director of Global Payroll

• As our Director Global Payroll, you will drive the full payroll function for our global tech organization across 12 countries
• This is a hands-on leadership role, offering end-to-end accountability for accuracy, tax compliance, and global execution
• You will maintain personal ownership of US payroll tax operations, including quarter-end and year-end processing within Dayforce and Workday, while directing international payroll through in-country specialists and vendors
• We are looking for a seasoned US payroll tax professional ready to expand their impact into global leadership
• By ensuring our people are paid accurately and on time, you show up to win for Collibrians everywhere
• Your work is vital to maintaining One Collibra as we scale our presence across Europe—including Belgium, the UK, Poland, and the Czech Republic—and beyond
• You will report to our VP & Corp
• Controller and help mature our processes to support our rapid growth
• This role is an ideal career opportunity for an authentic and proactive leader who enjoys both technical execution and strategic oversight
• Own US and Canada payroll tax compliance across all jurisdictions, including local earned income tax and nexus for the remote workforce
• Direct global payroll across Belgium, the UK, Poland, the Czech Republic, and eight additional countries, maintaining oversight of local calendars and compliance mandates
• Execute technical tax adjustments in Dayforce and Workday, including mid-year corrections and off-cycle filings
• Lead quarter-end close, reconciling liabilities and validating 941 filings ahead of deadlines
• Drive year-end processing, including US W-2 production and corrections
• Serve as the payroll-tax subject matter expert for People and Finance, and resolve employee inquiries directly
• Coordinate tax registration lifecycles with Legal and Finance partners as the company scales
• Partner on tax-sensitive events such as equity vesting and relocation, ensuring accurate reporting of complex compensation
• Lead, develop, and back up in-country specialists, and manage vendor relationships with partners like Partena, Cintra, and Forvis Mazars
• Direct global audits, providing technical documentation and reconciliations, and resolve cross-functional escalations
• Drive AI, automation, and process improvements to streamline global payroll workflows and documentation
• Within your first month, you will complete a full US payroll cycle independently in Dayforce and Workday, map all active in-country vendor relationships and compliance calendars across our 12 countries, and identify any open gaps in payroll tax registrations
• Within your third month, you will own and deliver your first quarter-end close — including 941 reconciliation and liability validation — and establish direct working relationships with all in-country specialists and vendors (Partena, Cintra, Forvis Mazars). You will have also surfaced your top 2–3 process improvement or automation opportunities
• Within your sixth month, you will lead year-end readiness planning end-to-end (US W-2 production and international equivalents), launch at least one automation or process improvement initiative using AI, and present a global payroll operations roadmap to the VP, Controller

Benefits

• {Be}Unplugged: Our paid time off programs include vacation, holidays, sick time and compassionate/bereavement leave. We also offer remote-friendly meditation sessions and cooking lessons – all of which you’re actively encouraged to use!
• {Be}Informed: Competitive compensation, bonus potential, private company equity, merit reviews and promotion cycles, company pension, discounts programs, access to LinkedIn Learning, employee referral program, employee rewards & recognition, development programs and more!
• When in-person (office) life resumes, we look forward to more snacks, catered lunches, team offsites and social events (think holiday gift exchange, fundraising events, happy hours, celebrations and more)!
• Unlimited paid time off policy
• Work from home opportunities
• {Be}Healthy: Healthcare for yourself and eligible dependents (inclusive of partners/domestic partners), mental health resources and care, tax-advantaged accounts, income protection, discount programs and more! Additionally, we encourage employees to treat their whole self by offering a bi-monthly calendar of events and programming dedicated to our {Be}well initiatives which focus on wellbeing areas including emotional, professional & social, financial, physical, allyship & belonging and giving back.
• {Be}With Family: We offer multiple types of leave so that you can spend time with loved ones, including parental leave, caregiver leave and our annual family day. These are all complementary to our culture in which we value output over hours.
• {Be}Kind: Collibra For Good, Unconscious Bias & Allyship training, Manager Racial Injustice training and Collibra-led fundraisers.
• {Be}Together: Community and belonging with our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and personal interest groups, ERG-driven events, speaker series, and celebrations, a dedicated DEI council, the virtual Collibra cafe, trivia, bingo games and much more.- 10+ years of end-to-end US multi-state payroll experience, including 7+ years in a leadership role owning global coordination, year-end delivery, and complex tax lifecycles
• Hands-on mastery of Workday and Dayforce, able to independently run US payroll cycles and technical tax functions (adjustments, 941 reconciliations, local returns, W-2/W-2c)
• Demonstrated use of AI tools (e.g., Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, Copilot) to solve business challenges and streamline workflows
• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent related working experience is required
• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship
• Comfortable directing international payroll through in-country specialists and vendors rather than processing each cycle yourself
• A hands-on leader who directs and develops the team while still owning US payroll and tax execution personally, and who wants that technical work to stay central as scope expands globally