Head of Payroll, North America

ZEISS Group•St. Cloud, MN

1d•$190,000 - $200,000

About The Position

How many companies can say they’ve been in business for over 177 years?! Here at ZEISS, we certainly can! As the pioneers of science, ZEISS handles ever-changing environments in a fast-paced world, meeting it with cutting edge of technologies and continuous advancements. ZEISS believes that innovation and technology are the key to a sustainable future and solutions for global change. We have a diverse range of portfolios throughout the ZEISS family in segments like Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. We are a global company with over 42,000 employees and have over 4,000 in the US and Canada alone! Make a difference, come join the team! What’s the role? The Head of Payroll is a strategic and passionate leader responsible for driving and elevating payroll operations to service over 3,500 colleagues across North America. This role will be required to develop and lead a high-performing team focused on delivering accurate, compliant, and timely payroll and related topics across the US and Canada. More than transactional, this position requires a strategic, people leader who thrives in complexity, champions process standardization through Workday, and prioritizes both employee experience, financial integrity and is unafraid to contribute as a hands-on operator. The ideal candidate brings deep payroll expertise, strong regulatory and financial acumen, project management capabilities and a commitment to service, excellence, and resilience. Sound Interesting? Here’s what you’ll do:

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field; CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive payroll experience, including U.S. and Canadian payroll, in a multi-entity, multi-state, matrixed, global organization.
5+ years in a leadership role managing decentralized teams of 5 or more direct reports
Experience transforming payroll and benefits functions to maximize automation, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Extensive multi-state and local payroll tax knowledge, including registration and compliance.
Proven experience implementing and managing Workday payroll and time solutions preferred
Demonstrated success in transforming and centralizing payroll operations across multiple regions/sites.
Technical Expertise Workday: Advanced working knowledge of Workday US Payroll, Workday Canada Payroll (highly desirable) and Time Tracking is required; experience with other payroll platforms and vendors (e.g., ADPWFN, OSV) is highly desirable.
Project Management: Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage project plans, dependencies, critical path activities, and milestones highly desired.
MS Office/Applications: Proficient use of a computer, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote), and other related applications or software.
Payroll Expertise: Deep knowledge of payroll laws, systems, tax regulations, and compliance requirements across the U.S. and Canada. Familiarity with global mobility and expatriate taxation matters is a plus.
Financial Acumen: Ability to interpret payroll data, support audits, and partner closely with Finance to ensure proper accounting and reporting.
Leadership & Influence: A developer of people who can inspire, guide, and empower teams while holding high standards.
Change Management: Skilled at leading through ambiguity, managing transitions, and gaining buy-in across diverse stakeholder groups.
Resilience Under Pressure: Demonstrated ability to remain focused, accurate, and composed in high-stakes environments.
Critical Thinking: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on root cause analysis and corrective action.
Communication: Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions and levels.
High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and compliance.
Continuous improvement & end-to-end process mindset: A strong ability to analyze and optimize end-to-end processes to enhance operational efficiency, drive ongoing improvement and organizational success

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Governance Further develop and execute a long-term payroll strategy for North America, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and alignment with organizational objectives.
Drive transformation initiatives to streamline processes, improve internal controls, and ensure best-in-class service delivery.
Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on payroll-related risks, performance, and compliance posture.
Drive harmonization and automation of payroll processes across key areas, including 401(k) reconciliation, Workday earning code definition incl. mapping to GL, and other critical workflows.
Lead and manage payroll-related projects, including system upgrades, integrations/migrations, vendor transitions, and process improvement initiatives.
Partner with HR, Finance and HR Digital Solutions teams to align payroll operations with broader organizational strategies and to optimize end-to-end processes.
Payroll Operational Excellence Oversee the accurate processing of multi-state U.S. and Canadian payroll, special payments, garnishments, tax withholdings, and benefit deductions.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local payroll tax laws and regulations, including multi-state payroll tax registrations and updates.
Ensure absolute accuracy, timeliness, and compliance in payroll operations.
Maintain a hands-on approach and operational depth to ensure continuity and quality across all touchpoints.
Oversee payroll-related implications for expats and mobile employees.
Monitor regulatory changes and ensure proactive compliance.
Manage relationships with external payroll vendors, ensuring performance against SLAs, cost efficiency, and compliance standards.
Establish and monitor payroll KPIs, providing regular reporting and insight to Finance and HR leadership.
Ensure payroll processes follow robust internal controls and support all internal and external audits, including payroll reconciliations, workers compensation and documentation of key procedures.
Understand complex and integrated system/technology landscape (e.g., Workday) downstream systems, integrations and reporting Manage year-end payroll activities, including tax reporting (e.g., W-2, T4) and reconciliation processes.
Team Leadership and Development Develop, coach, and inspire a team of payroll professionals to deliver with excellence, integrity, and purpose.
Cultivate a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Identify and build future leadership within the team; foster cross-functional learning and upskilling.
Establish clear performance metrics, SLAs, and KPIs for the payroll team to ensure high-quality service delivery.
Partnership and Collaboration Build strong, trusting relationships with Finance, HR (including HR Digital Solutions), Legal and onsite leadership.
Represent payroll in M&A due diligence, onboarding, and integration efforts.
Collaborate with HR Digital Solutions teams to maintain and optimize Workday Time & Payroll systems.
Act as the internal and external face of payroll, ensuring transparency and proactive communication Compliance and Risk Management Implement and maintain robust governance framework and controls to ensure compliance with organizational policies, payroll tax laws, and regulatory requirements.
Develop and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for payroll processes.
Conduct regular internal audits of payroll transactions, garnishments, tax withholdings, and absence processing to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Collaborate with external vendors (e.g., ADP, OSV) and state agencies to resolve tax-related issues and maintain employer compliance.
Process Improvement and Technology Act as the Functional Lead in Workday Payroll improvement projects, ensuring optimal utilization of the platform and integration with other HRIS systems.
Evaluate and recommend third-party vendors to support payroll operations, year-end readiness, and special projects.
Identify opportunities for process automation and digitalization and implement best practices to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
Develop analytics and reporting tools to monitor payroll performance and support decision-making.
Global Mobility & Expatriate Payroll Coordinate with the Global Mobility team to manage payroll for inbound and outbound expatriates, ensuring compliance with relocation gross-ups, taxation, and year-end reporting.
Partner with outsourced vendors (e.g., KPMG) to address expatriate tax matters and ensure accurate reporting on W-2s and other tax forms.