Senior Director, Global Payroll

The Role

The Individual will be responsible for leading our global payroll function, including leading our in-house team of payroll professionals and maintaining strong relationships with our payroll vendors, as well as collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders and providing strategic guidance to optimize global payroll operations.

This role leads a globally dispersed team and will play an integral role in fostering a performance-driven, employee-centric culture that is in line with Moderna’s growth. The ideal candidate will have significant experience with navigating complex payroll requests and topics, system implementations, strategy, continuous improvement, and leadership of global operations. This is a fantastic leadership opportunity that will allow for continuous process reinvention, ability to transform work via technology and lead a wonderful global team.

This role is based in our Cambridge, MA headquarters where you will be part of a strong, collaborative leadership ecosystem.

• Lead the global payroll team, consistently implementing process improvements and advancing automation initiatives.
• Own payroll operations across multiple countries with varying regulatory, tax, and employment frameworks, ensuring consistent global standards with appropriate local customization.
• Lead payroll readiness and execution for new country launches, including vendor selection, regulatory setup, process design, and integration into global payroll frameworks.
• Establish and enforce global payroll governance, including standardization of processes, controls, and vendor management across regions.
• Lead integration and oversight of payroll implications related to international mobility, cross-border employees, and multi-jurisdictional taxation.
• Oversee all monthly and biweekly payroll cycles, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and strict adherence to compliance standards.
• Rapidly identify and lead resolution of payroll issues on a global scale.
• Identify process inefficiencies and implement solutions to close any operational gaps.
• Proactively anticipate future needs, developing and refining processes to meet evolving demands.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to introduce new processes or recommend impactful changes.
• Own and lead the global payroll technology roadmap, including the implementation of new platforms, optimization of existing systems, and continuous enhancement to support global scale.
• Engage regularly with outsourced vendor teams to set, monitor, and uphold high service standards, ensuring exceptional performance.
• Monitor and manage payroll and employment tax-related communications and actions to ensure compliance.
• Oversee and reinforce internal controls, ensuring the team’s compliance with SOX standards.
• Partner closely with HR Operations, Compensation, Benefits, Equity, Global Mobility, Digital, and Finance teams to drive alignment and efficiency.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional HR teams to support holistic organizational objectives.
• Mentor, develop and acculturate a team – focusing on professional development, high frequency feedback/coaching and commitment to growth.

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, or a related field. MBA, MSHR or similar advanced degree preferred but not required.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in global payroll, including leadership of large, geographically dispersed teams, global process optimization, and oversight of payroll operations across multiple regions. This includes hiring and leading teams.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills – ability to raise issues proactively and bring a solution-first approach to your work.
• Fundamental understanding of corporate, individual and employment taxes that are directly impacted by payroll matters, spanning all typical forms of compensation and benefits, including salaries, cash bonuses, health insurance, retirement plans, and well-being benefits.
• Deep expertise in payroll implications of stock-based compensation (e.g., RSUs, stock options and performance-based RSUs), including taxation, reporting, and integration with…