Payroll Operations Leader

The Payroll Operations Leader will own the strategy, execution, and continuous evolution of payroll operations by championing operational excellence, fostering innovation, and building a high‑performing team capable of navigating a dynamic and complex environment. As an integral component of our HR service delivery model, the payroll team provides specialized, escalated case support for the most complex payroll‑impacting inquiries—ensuring issues are resolved accurately, efficiently, and in alignment with a cohesive service delivery experience. This leader will empower the team to proactively identify, root‑cause, and solve problems while partnering closely with HR, Finance, Legal, and external vendors to optimize end‑to‑end payroll processes.

Responsibilities:

• Design and lead the payroll operations team and processes to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for all associates across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
• Partner closely with HR, Finance and Accounting, and other key stakeholders to execute end-to-end payroll processes and resolve complex payroll-related issues.
• Build proactive partnerships with external vendors to ensure payroll processes are executed timely, accurately, and in full compliance with all regulations and company standards.
• Leverage and coach the continuous improvement tools empowering the team to proactively identify, root cause, and solve problems to drive sustainable process improvements.
• Champion operational excellence by fostering a culture of innovation to identify and evaluate impactful solutions to drive process efficiency and automation, allowing the team to focus on higher-value activities.
• Analyze payroll data and metrics to identify trends, ensure data integrity, and support informed decision-making for leadership.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness, accuracy, and efficiency of payroll operations, and lead the team through problem-solving when targets are not met.
• Lead payroll integration during mergers and acquisitions, partnering with upstream and downstream process owners to ensure seamless transitions and maintain operational continuity across all entities.
• Develop and maintain documentation for payroll procedures, controls, and process improvements to support audit readiness and operational transparency.
• Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local payroll regulations, proactively monitoring legislative changes and implementing necessary adjustments to maintain compliance.