Director of Enrollment

With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you'll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that's unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you'll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact. Every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we'll win as a team, striving to uphold our powerful backing promise to provide the world's best customer experience every day. And we'll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

How will you make an impact in this role?

In this role, Director EMEA Payroll Operations will report to the VP Colleague Services. The role is responsible for driving strategic priorities, ensuring and improving the performance, productivity, and efficiency of EMEA Payroll operations, providing direction to a diverse team of payroll professionals in order to achieve goals to support strategic, company, business and CEG Priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Payroll Accuracy & Compliance: Guarantee timely and accurate payroll processing while staying ahead of complex tax and labor laws across multiple EMEA countries. Ensure timely and accurate payroll processing for all employees, including regular, variable, and off-cycle payments. Stay updated on local, state, and national payroll legislation, tax laws, and labor regulations. Implement payroll processes that comply with statutory requirements, company policies, and industry standards. Collaborate with legal and HR teams to address payroll-related compliance risks.
• Optimize Payroll Operations: Drive efficiencies through automation, process improvements, and best practices to enhance payroll governance and execution. Implement system-driven payroll solutions to automate calculations, filings and compliance checks to reduce manual errors. Standardize workflows to eliminate redundancies and enhance processing speed. Strengthen internal controls with audit-ready processes, minimizing compliance risks and ensuring data integrity.
• Strengthen Vendor & Stakeholder Relationships: Oversee third-party payroll providers, ensure SLAs are met, and foster strong collaboration with CEG, Finance, and Tax teams. Conduct regular SLA and KPI reviews to ensure that third-party payroll vendors meet accuracy, timeliness, and compliance expectations. Partner with technology teams to optimize payroll systems and implement automation for accuracy and efficiency. Partner with finance and tax teams to proactively address regulatory changes and implement compliance strategies. Support ongoing audits and reconciliations to ensure tax filings, benefits contributions, and financial reporting are error-free.
• Enhance Employee Experience: Implement strategies to ensure a smooth and transparent payroll experience while addressing employee concerns proactively. Ensure a seamless experience by providing colleagues easy access to payroll information, pay slips, and tax details. Structured payroll issue escalation and resolution framework to address colleague concerns efficiently with minimal disruption. Conduct regular colleague feedback sessions to identify pain points and implement continuous improvements.
• Leverage Data & Analytics: Develop and monitor payroll metrics, identify trends, and provide insights to drive strategic decisions. Monitor key payroll metrics (e.g., error rates, processing times, compliance adherence) and drive improvements. Develop dashboards to track key metrics, identify gaps, and optimize resource allocations.
• Lead & Develop Teams: Mentor payroll teams across the region, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence. Foster a culture of collaboration by implementing best practice sharing, standardized processes, and knowledge exchange programs to ensure consistency and efficiency across payroll operations. Encourage innovation and continuous improvement by empowering teams to identify process enhancements, streamline workflows, and proactively address risks.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High-level knowledge of Payroll, compliance, and employee taxation in the EMEA region.
• Strong understanding of American Express business processes, Payroll and financial systems including but not limited to ADP and SAP systems employed in payroll processing.
• A strong understanding of Amex and vendor systems from a solution creation, automation, and integration perspective.
• Exceptional leadership, business partnership, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Capable of strategic thinking and results-driven approach with an ability to convert strategic vision into clear outcomes.
• Strategic business partner with a proven track record of independent working, positively collaborating, influencing, and coordinating with internal and external partners including senior leaders.
• Ability to design, implement and streamline complex processes.
• Excellent organization skills with strong attention to detail. Experience leading a team in a matrix environment. Excellent at influencing others to drive flawless execution.
• Good change management experience, and ability to drive and manage complex/large scale change initiatives sensitively and thoughtfully.
• High drive for results, with a focus on delivering measurable outcomes.
• Global mindset, with the ability to challenge the status quo.
• Excellent communication skills, able to cascade complex messages in simple form and ensure employees can see how what they do day-to-day supports the company’s strategic priorities and direction.
• Experience with Agile and project management disciplines preferred.
• An understanding of relevant financial control principles and practices (i.e. US GAAP, Local GAAP), preferred.
• Master’s Degree with a minimum of 15 years experience.

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• Support for financial well-being and retirement.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location).
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need.
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location).
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location).
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program.
• Career development and training opportunities.

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.