Seeking an experienced Interim Director of Financial Shared Services to provide temporary leadership coverage for a four-month assignment. Reporting to the VP, Accounting Strategy & Operations, this individual will lead the day-to-day operations of two shared services functions: Payroll and Accounts Payable. The successful candidate will oversee 2 direct reports and approximately 20-22 team members across the organization while ensuring operational continuity, service excellence, compliance, and continuous improvement. A critical component of this role is providing leadership and support for Southwire's Payroll transformation initiative, including partnering with Payroll, HR, IT, and business stakeholders to advance implementation activities, drive process decisions, align stakeholders, and prepare the organization for successful go-live next year. This role requires a highly collaborative leader with deep financial shared services experience, strong business process expertise, and a demonstrated ability to lead large-scale transformation initiatives within complex organizations. Key Responsibilities Shared Services Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight for Payroll and Accounts Payable operations.
• Lead, coach, and support two direct reports while ensuring appropriate development and engagement of the broader organization.
• Maintain service level performance, operational effectiveness, and business continuity across all functions.
• Monitor departmental KPIs and implement corrective actions as needed to achieve performance objectives.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls, SOX requirements, and applicable regulatory obligations. Payroll Transformation Leadership
• Quickly assess the current state of the Payroll implementation and become a key leader within the project governance structure.
• Partner with Payroll, HR, IT, Finance, Operations, and implementation partners to drive project deliverables and milestones.
• Facilitate discussions and decision-making across functional areas to establish future-state payroll processes.
• Build alignment among stakeholders regarding process design, controls, reporting, and organizational readiness.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and resource needs while recommending solutions to maintain project momentum.
• Support testing, change management, training, communication planning, and go-live readiness activities. Operational Excellence & Process Improvement
• Evaluate existing shared services processes and identify opportunities for simplification, standardization, automation, and improved controls.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies.
• Develop and execute action plans that improve efficiency, service quality, compliance, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Drive accountability and foster a culture focused on operational excellence and customer service. Financial Management & Governance
• Oversee critical month-end and year-end processes within supported functions.
• Ensure accuracy and integrity of payroll, vendor payments, commissions, and rebate calculations.
• Support internal and external audits and remediation efforts as required.
• Monitor and manage key risks associated with shared services operations. Business Partnership
• Serve as a trusted business partner across Finance, HR, Procurement, Operations, IT, and senior leadership.
• Communicate project updates, operational performance, risks, and recommendations effectively to executive leadership.
• Influence stakeholders and drive consensus across diverse groups with competing priorities. Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within Financial Shared Services, Finance Operations, Payroll, Accounts Payable, or related functions.
• Minimum 5 years leading managers and multi-functional teams.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing Payroll and Accounts Payable operations in a large, complex organization.
• Proven experience leading large-scale Payroll, HRIS, ERP, or shared services transformation projects.
• Strong understanding of internal controls, compliance, process governance, and financial operations.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to quickly assess situations, establish priorities, and drive execution in a fast-paced environment. Preferred Qualifications
• Experience leading payroll system implementations (UKG, Workday, SAP, ADP, Oracle, or similar platforms).
• Manufacturing, distribution, or large enterprise shared services experience.
• CPA, CMA, CPP, Lean Six Sigma, or other relevant professional certifications.
• Experience working within SAP environments.
• Track record of leading organizational change and driving adoption across multiple business functions. Success Measures During the Assignment At the conclusion of the 6-month engagement, the successful contractor will have:
• Maintained stable operations across Payroll, AP, Rebates, and Commissions.
• Established credibility and effective working relationships with key leaders and stakeholders.
• Advanced the Payroll implementation roadmap and project milestones.
• Facilitated key future-state process decisions and stakeholder alignment.
• Identified operational improvement opportunities and initiated actionable plans.
• Provided a comprehensive transition plan and status summary to support ongoing leadership continuity.

Must-Haves12345

Nice-To-Haves Pay:

$70.00 - $73.00 per hour

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person