IND_Associate Director-Global HR (US Payroll) Bengaluru

About Lowe’s
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 16 million customer transactions a week in the United States. With total fiscal year 2024 sales of more than $83 billion, Lowe’s operates over 1,700 home improvement stores and employs approximately 300,000 associates. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing, improving community spaces, helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts and providing disaster relief to communities in need. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

Job Summary
The Associate Director of Payroll supports payroll execution and administration for all Lowe’s US associates. This role will oversee a payroll operations team responsible for assisting with payroll processes, issue resolution, and compliance. The role will be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely processing while partnering with the US-based Payroll team. They will provide guidance to the payroll team, resolving complex payroll calculations and compliance concerns. The role also involves maintaining and improving payroll process documentation, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Instructions, to ensure alignment with US federal and state payroll regulations. Maintaining confidentiality and data integrity is critical, as is ensuring the team meets monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll deliverables with a high standard of accuracy and efficiency. This role requires extensive experience in US payroll processing, strong leadership skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively in a global payroll environment.

Roles & Responsibilities

Core Responsibilities
Oversee and ensure accurate and timely execution of all payroll processes, including on-cycle and off-cycle payrolls, for multi-state US associates.
Provide strategic direction on complex payroll calculations, time and attendance management, and payroll reconciliation.
Drive operational excellence by identifying and implementing process automation and efficiency improvements.
Ensure effective resource planning to support ongoing payroll operations, new transitions, and ad hoc projects.
Collaborate with US-based payroll leadership vendors to resolve escalated payroll issues and drive continuous process enhancements.
Develop, maintain, and oversee payroll process documentation, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Instructions, ensuring alignment with best practices.
Monitor and analyze payroll performance metrics, identifying trends and implementing improvements for increased accuracy and efficiency.

Compliance

Ensure strict adherence to US federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations, including FLSA, tax compliance, wage garnishments, and reporting requirements.
Maintain audit-ready payroll records, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance with internal policies and external regulatory requirements.
Partner with US teams to mitigate risks, address policy updates, and support audits or regulatory reviews.
Conduct process reviews and data integrity checks to ensure payroll accuracy and compliance with service-level agreements (SLAs).

Leadership

Provide strategic leadership, ensuring high performance, accountability, and engagement.
Develop and mentor team, fostering career growth, continuous learning, and process ownership.
Lead efforts to ensure smooth transitions and stabilization of new payroll processes.
Establish a culture of recognition, collaboration, and continuous improvement, driving team motivation and engagement.
Act as a trusted payroll partner to global and cross-functional teams, ensuring seamless integration of payroll with other functions.

Years of Experience

15+ years of global payroll experience required, with a strong focus on US payroll processing, time & attendance management, statutory compliance, and labor laws. Experience working in a large global company within payroll operations at a leadership level, preferably as a senior manager or associate director.

Education Qualification & Certifications
Required Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Management, Commerce, Finance, Organization Development, or related field.

Skill Set Required
Primary Skills (must have)
10+ years of expertise in US payroll processes, with deep end-to-end payroll knowledge, including compliance, and multi-state payroll processing experience.
Proven leadership experience in managing and developing high-performing payroll teams, fostering collaboration, and driving operational excellence.
Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience working closely with onshore, offshore and nearshore teams.
Extensive experience in optimizing and improving payroll processes, driving efficiency, accuracy, and quality service delivery.
Hands-on experience with payroll systems such as Workday and ticketing platforms like ServiceNow.

Secondary Skills (desired)

Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop payroll teams, fostering a culture of engagement and creating a great place to work.
Experience successfully managing multiple priorities, projects, and process transitions, ensuring timely execution within budget and stakeholder expectations.
Strong understanding of enabling technologies, including case management systems, employee/manager self-service tools, and their impact on enhancing payroll operations in a shared services environment.

Lowes is an equal opportunity employer and administers all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law.