Senior Director - Global Payroll and Time

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve.

This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking a Senior Director, Payroll, Time Tracking & Absence (PATT) to lead one of the most operationally critical functions within our global HR Technology & Operations organization based in Indianapolis.

This role owns end-to-end payroll for the USand is the process owner for globaltimemanagementand absence. Additionally,therolewill bea keyinfluencerof craftingpayrollstrategiesglobally.

LillyPATT primarilyoperateswithin

Workdayas our core HCM platform.

This is a leadership rolethatwill work at the intersection of people, technology, and financial integrity — partnering closely with Finance, Legal, Global Mobility, and our broader HR leadership team to transform, streamline and automate PATT capabilities.

The Senior Director will implement an AI-forwardpayrollcapability, drive Workday PATT product excellence, govern third-party vendorrelationshipsand ensure full SOXcomplianceforall payroll cycles.

The ideal candidate brings Workday PATTexpertise,a track recordof redefiningbusinessoperations at scale, and the leadership presence tocontinuouslyelevate team performance.

• Own end-to-end payroll operations for
  
  LillyUSensuring payrollisprocessed accurately, compliantly, and on time.

• Be responsible for equity-related payroll events including the management of KPMG (our mobile taxation processor), award processing, and special, limited scope payments.

• Lead payroll readiness and execution for new countryandacquiredcompanylaunches. Lead entity changes including regulatory setup, vendor selection, and integration into Lilly's global payroll framework.

• Serve as the senior customer concern point for sophisticated cross-border, multi-jurisdictional, and executive-level payroll matters.

• Maintain and continuously improve payroll governance, controls, and audit readiness — including full SOX compliance payroll accounting practices.

• Lead the strategic product roadmap for Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence — including feature adoption, configuration governance, release planning, and improvements.

• Lead the marketplace in the use ofHR technology, agentic AI, andthedigital employee experience to boldly streamline operationswhilemaintainingor improving accuracy.

• Own and simplify the PATT technology portfolio—reducing vendor complexity, retiring legacy tools, and enablingprotocolsacross regions.

• Partner to optimise integrations between Workday and downstream payroll,finance, benefits, equity administration, and reporting systems.

• Develop and drive strategic vendor relationships example PWC—set clear SLAs, conduct performance reviews, and hold partners accountable to quality standards.

• Consulton outsourced payroll service agreements, ensuring cost-effectiveness and service excellence for all Lilly markets.

• Partner with Procurement and Legal on contract renewals, critical issue frameworks, and vendor risk management.

• Ensure compliance with employment tax regulations, labour laws, and data privacy requirements in the US—maintaining active awareness of regulatory changes.

• Lead payroll's contribution to year-end financial close and external reporting, including MD&A readiness, 401(k) audit support, and payroll-driven disclosures.

• Be responsible for payroll for stock compensation that incorporates multi-jurisdictional tax requirements.

• Maintain robust internal controls and coordinate with Internal Audit and external auditors on SOX testing…