Director, North America Payroll Operations

About This Role

Directing North America Payroll Operations involves providing leadership and operational oversight for key functions within the team. This role is critical for ensuring timely and accurate payroll delivery, a service-oriented employee experience, and continuous modernization of payroll capabilities. It suits a leader with disciplined execution, strong judgment, and the ability to balance daily operations with process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the Firm’s Payroll Incident Management process, ensuring requests and inquiries are resolved in accordance with defined SLAs while driving effective triage, accountability, and cross-functional follow-through
• Provide oversight of preview payroll register audits and coordinate required corrective actions with the team to address variances before payroll finalization
• Guide the team in preparing required documentation and pay data templates for complex payroll transactions, including employee withholding, check and payment adjustments, tax withholding, and garnishments
• Drive continuous improvement across payroll operations by identifying opportunities to enhance existing solutions, strengthen controls, and improve the preparation, audit, balancing, and reconciliation of pay data
• Develop and leverage trend analyses related to payroll and employee master data audits to identify root causes, reduce recurring issues, and support operational excellence each pay period
• Execute strategic initiatives and advance business enhancements aligned with priorities set by the Head of Payroll, North America, at the direction of the Vice President of Payroll, North America Operations

Requirements

• 5 to 8 years of experience in North America payroll operations
• Advanced knowledge of wage and hour laws and wage taxability, with depth in California employee requirements and Employment Development Department considerations
• Working knowledge of Canadian payroll requirements, including Records of Employment, Registered Retirement Savings Plans, and provincial tax filing requirements such as Quebec
• Direct experience overseeing or processing the end-to-end payroll lifecycle for a Canadian workforce
• Advanced Excel and data analysis capabilities, with demonstrated proficiency using the full suite of Microsoft Office applications to support decision-making and operational execution
• Executive presence, sound judgment, and a commitment to delivering high-quality service experience for business partners and employees
• Minimum of 3 years of direct supervisory experience managing 3 to 4 direct reports, with demonstrated ability to coach, prioritize, and hold teams accountable
• Self-directed leader with exceptional time management skills and the ability to collaborate effectively in a matrixed environment with minimal supervision