Manager, Payroll Operations

b) Market Complexity

• Responsible for handling multi-country payroll operations within an assigned region.

• Ensures compliance with local statutory requirements, tax regulations, data privacy laws and internal controls.

• Partners closely with HR, Finance, Tax, Digital & Technology, and external payroll providers.

• Supervises complex payroll scenarios including statutory payments, LOA, tax queries, year-end processes, audits and cross-border payroll considerations.

• Handles employee and customer queries ensuring consistent, high-quality employee experience.

• Navigates diverse regulatory environments with strong Regulatory Knowledge and systems expertise.

c) Leadership capabilities

• Leads country or cluster payroll operational teams to deliver accurate and timely payroll services.

• Drives operational excellence and continuous improvement in line with the Payroll Transformation Agenda.

• Partners with Regional Head to implement the Payroll Operational Roadmap.

• Ensures adherence to governance frameworks, controls, audit requirements and compliance standards.

• Champions data-driven decision-making and simplification initiatives.

• Builds strong cross-functional relationships and influences customers across markets and global functions.

• Develops team capability in digital tools, systems thinking and process excellence.

Purpose of Role

To lead and handle payroll operations across assigned markets, ensuring accurate, compliant and timely payroll delivery while driving operational excellence, digital enablement and continuous improvement in line with Diageo's strategic priorities.

The role balances operational stability with transformation and capability building, ensuring exceptional employee experience and regulatory compliance.

Top 3-5 Accountabilities

Operational Payroll Delivery

• Own end-to-end payroll operations for assigned markets.

• Ensure payroll inputs and outputs are validated accurately and delivered on time.

• Oversee variance analysis, reconciliations, journals and KPI reporting.

• Ensure year-end payroll activities are implemented accurately and compliantly.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure adherence to statutory, tax, labor law and data privacy regulations.

• Maintain strong control environment aligned with internal and external audit requirements.

• Act as partner concern point for sophisticated payroll compliance matters.

Vendor & Customer Management

• Handle relationships with outsourced payroll providers.

• Engage successfully with HR, Finance, Tax and Digital customers.

• Resolve employee and leadership queries within agreed SLAs.

• Drive service excellence and continuous improvement with partners.

Digital & Process Excellence

• Leverage Payroll Systems, HRIS platforms and Time & Attendance systems to optimize operations.

• Use Microsoft Power Automate and workflow tools to streamline repetitive tasks.

• Promote systems thinking to improve end-to-end payroll and mobility processes.

• Enable data-driven change initiatives and improve reporting architecture.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Develop high-performing payroll teams.

• Develop collaboration, accountability and continuous learning.

• Embed strong ethical standards and employee-centric mentality.

Core Skills Required

• Business Insight - Understand payroll's impact on financial performance and operational efficiency.

• Strategic Enterprise Awareness - Align payroll operations to enterprise strategy and transformation roadmap.

• Communication & Storytelling - Translate payroll data and compliance insights into clear, actionable narratives for customers.

• Customer Management - Engage and influence internal and external partners reliably.

• Change Management - Lead transition initiatives and embed new processes and systems reliably.

• Problem-Solving - Diagnose complex payroll and compliance issues and implement effective solutions.

• Collaboration & Partnership - Work cross-functionally to deliver shared objectives.

• Emotional Intelligence - Develop team dynamics and customer interactions with appreciation and awareness.

• Ethical Decision-Making - Uphold compliance, integrity and governance standards.

• Social Skills - Build strong professional relationships across cultures and geographies.

• Resilience & Adaptability - Operate effectively in a fast-paced, changing environment.

Digital & Technical Skills required

• Payroll Systems - Expertise in payroll processing systems ensuring accurate tax and statutory deductions.

• HRIS Proficiency & Data Management - Strong capability in handling and analyzing payroll-related data.

• Time & Attendance Systems - Integration and validation of attendance and leave data.

• Microsoft Power Automate / Workflow Tools - Automating repetitive HR and payroll processes.

• Regulatory Compliance Tools (e.g., GDPR, HMRC software) - Ensuring adherence to labor, tax and privacy regulations.

• Systems Thinking - Leading interdependencies across payroll, rewards, mobility and finance systems.

• Data Architecture - Supporting structured payroll data frameworks and reporting environments.

• Data-Driven Change Enablement - Demonstrating analytics to improve payroll processes and controls.

Advanced Skills preferred

• Regulatory Knowledge - Deep understanding of payroll legislation, tax frameworks and statutory requirements across markets.

• Blockchain for Benefits & Payroll (Desirable/Future-Focused) - Awareness of emerging technologies enhancing payroll security, clarity and benefits administration.

Qualifications and Experience Required

• 8-10 years of dynamic payroll experience, including multi-country payroll operations

• Role Profile - Payroll specialist

• Experience leading payroll vendors and cross-functional customer engagement

• Shown leadership experience within payroll or HR operations

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration or related field

• Role Profile - Payroll specialist

• Strong understanding of payroll controls, compliance frameworks and audit processes

• Experience working in a global/shared services environment preferred

• Strong analytical and data management capability

• Proficiency in MS Office and HR systems

• Experience interpreting legislation and translating into operational controls

• Ability to lead improvements and simplify complex payroll environments

Barriers to Success in Role

• Lack of ability to influence at a senior level

• Poor engagement skills with key collaborators

• Lack of ability to deliver though others

• Poor communication skills

• Inability to work across cultures/geographies

• Flexible Working options

• Diageo reserves its rights, after consultation with you, to amend this role profile.

Flexible Working Statement:

Flexibility is key to our success. From part-time and compressed hours to different locations, our people work flexibly in ways to suit them. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported from day one.

Diversity statement:

Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.

We accept diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mattitudes and more.

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.

Client-provided location(s): Bangalore, India

Job ID: Diageo-JR1123776

Employment Type: FULL_TIME

Posted: 2026-03-13T19:17:03