Global Payroll Compliance

GAQ127R61

Join Databricks' dynamic and expanding Global Payroll Team, part of the Finance organisation. As a Compliance Lead, you'll play a critical role in designing and maintaining a best-in-class global payroll compliance framework that protects the company, our employees, and our brand. We are in an exciting phase of transformation, implementing key projects to scale our operations, strengthen controls, and enhance service quality.

As a Compliance Lead, you will be the subject matter expert for global payroll compliance, ensuring that payroll processes, policies, and controls remain aligned with statutory, regulatory, and internal audit requirements. You'll partner closely with regional payroll teams, Finance, Legal, HR, and external advisors to identify compliance risks, drive remediation, and support the continued maturity of our global payroll operating model.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and maintain the global payroll compliance framework, including controls, policies, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) across regions.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes impacting payroll (e.g., tax, social security, labor law, reporting) and translate them into operational requirements.
• Partner with regional payroll teams and vendors to ensure timely and accurate implementation of new compliance requirements.
• Lead and support internal and external payroll audits, including SOX, statutory, and internal control reviews, ensuring timely responses and remediation of findings.
• Design, document, and continuously improve key payroll controls, including approval workflows, reconciliations, segregation of duties, and data validation checks.
• Develop and maintain compliance-related documentation (policies, control narratives, risk registers, and process maps) to support standardization and automation.
• Define, track, and report compliance and control metrics (e.g., defect rates, control failures, audit findings, remediation status) to leadership.
• Provide guidance and training to payroll and cross-functional partners on compliance requirements, policies, and best practices.
• Collaborate with Legal, Tax, Finance, HR, and Procurement on compliance topics such as equity taxation, fringe benefits, gifts, travel & expense, and vendor obligations.
• Act as an escalation point for complex compliance issues, investigations, and high-risk cases, driving root cause analysis and sustainable solutions.

What We're Looking For:

• 7+ years of experience in payroll, tax, compliance, or related fields, preferably within a fast-paced, multi-national environment.
• Strong understanding of global payroll regulations and statutory requirements across multiple countries (e.g., US, EMEA, APAC, LATAM) or deep expertise in one major region with exposure to others.
• Demonstrated experience designing, testing, and operating internal controls (e.g., SOX, internal audit frameworks, control testing, remediation planning).
• Proven track record in managing audits and working with internal and external auditors, regulators, or tax authorities.
• Experience working with Workday or similar HCM systems; familiarity with global payroll vendors (e.g., ADP, Safeguard, BDO, TMF, etc.) is a plus.
• Advanced Excel/Sheets skills (e.g., complex formulas, pivot tables, lookups) and comfort working with large data sets for reconciliations and analysis.
• Familiarity with case management tools, SLA-driven environments, and using metrics to monitor risk, quality, and performance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex compliance topics into clear, practical guidance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills with keen attention to detail and a focus on scalability and standardization.