Manager, HR Compliance & Operational Excellence

Bayer•St. Louis, MO

29d•$115,520 - $173,280•Remote

About The Position

The Manager, HR Compliance & Operational Excellence will provide strategic oversight of HR compliance governance across North America HR Foundations. The role strengthens Bayer's License to Operate by improving governance, reducing risk, simplifying processes, and modernizing how compliance work is delivered across Payroll, Benefits, HR Operations, Legal, Finance, Tax, and external partner interfaces. This leader will help shift the organization from manually intensive, person-dependent compliance execution toward clearer ownership, better process design, stronger documentation, increased automation, and responsible use of AI-enabled tools. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating across ambiguity, influencing stakeholders without direct authority, and translating complex compliance requirements into practical, scalable operating models.

Requirements

Progressive experience in HR Compliance, HR Operations, Payroll, Benefits, Risk Management, Governance, Operational Excellence, or a related discipline
Demonstrated success leading process redesign, governance improvement, or organizational transformation initiatives
Strong understanding of U.S. HR compliance requirements and governance frameworks; ability to learn and navigate cross-border U.S./Canada implications
Working knowledge of ERISA governance, pension and savings plan oversight, Form 5500 processes, SPD controls, employment tax interfaces, I-9 governance, and regulatory audit management
Experience partnering with Legal, Audit, Tax, Payroll, Benefits, Finance, HR Operations, and external advisors
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking capabilities
Excellent executive communication, stakeholder management, facilitation, and influencing skills
Comfort operating in ambiguity and leading through change in a matrixed environment

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting both U.S. and Canadian HR compliance environments
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Legal Studies, Public Policy, Risk Management, or a related field
Experience with Workday or comparable HR technology ecosystems
Experience applying Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Process Management, Design Thinking, or similar methodologies
Experience implementing automation, workflow tools, analytics, AI-enabled solutions, or digital process improvements
Vendor governance or external advisor management experience

Responsibilities

Provide strategic oversight of HR compliance activities across North America HR Foundations.
Maintain end-to-end visibility across critical compliance obligations, controls, audits, regulatory touchpoints, and emerging risks.
Establish governance frameworks that clarify accountability and ownership across HR, Payroll, Benefits, Legal, Finance, Tax, and related functions.
Assess and strengthen preventive and detective controls to support compliance with applicable federal, state, provincial, and local requirements.
Serve as a trusted advisor during internal and external audits and help establish consistent audit response frameworks.
Identify control gaps, process fragmentation, ownership ambiguity, and single points of failure; drive sustainable remediation plans.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives that improve quality, reduce risk, eliminate waste, and simplify employee and HR partner experiences.
Apply Lean, process improvement, design thinking, and operational excellence methodologies to modernize compliance-related processes.
Redesign workflows to reduce complexity, minimize handoffs, and eliminate unnecessary manual activity.
Build scalable operating models that reduce key-person dependency and improve organizational resilience.
Strengthen documentation standards, knowledge management practices, and cross-training expectations across critical compliance processes.
Partner with functional owners to transition selected operational activities into Payroll and Benefits where ownership more naturally aligns.
Champion the use of automation, workflow technology, analytics, and artificial intelligence to improve compliance outcomes and reduce manual effort.
Identify opportunities to replace manual checks with system-enabled prevention, intelligent monitoring, and exception-based controls.
Partner with HR Technology, Workday, Payroll, Benefits, Digital, and Operational Excellence teams to design scalable technology-enabled solutions.
Apply emerging AI capabilities to improve process documentation, knowledge management, risk identification, employee support, and operational decision support.
Promote responsible experimentation with AI and automation while maintaining appropriate governance, privacy, data quality, and compliance discipline.
Build a culture of curiosity, continuous learning, and practical innovation around future-of-work capabilities.
Partner closely with Payroll, Benefits, HR Business Partners, Legal, Finance, Tax, Internal Audit, and external vendors or advisors.
Influence stakeholders across a complex matrix environment without relying solely on formal authority.
Facilitate alignment across multiple functions involved in compliance-related activities and controls.
Lead governance forums, stakeholder discussions, and executive-ready updates on compliance priorities, operational risk, and modernization progress.
Translate complex compliance, audit, and process topics into clear recommendations and practical action plans.
Develop and implement strategies that reduce single points of failure across critical compliance work.
Establish knowledge transfer, documentation, and cross-training plans for critical processes and stakeholder relationships.
Coach leaders and teams on compliance ownership, governance expectations, audit readiness, and operating discipline.
Support organizational transformation as North America HR Foundations evolves its operating model and modernizes service delivery.