Manager Payroll

Sotera Health•Broadview Heights, OH

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Payroll Manager will help lead and modernize the Company’s US payroll operations in a complex, multi-state and multi-entity environment supporting approximately 1,700 associates. The role is accountable for ensuring associates are paid accurately, timely, and compliantly while strengthening internal controls, developing payroll talent, improving associate experience, and advancing payroll technology and automation. The position supports a diverse payroll environment that includes salaried and hourly associates, union and non-union populations, incentive and bonus payments, shift and other premium pay, garnishments, leaves of absence, and periodic off-cycle payments. The Payroll Manager partners closely with Human Resources, Accounting, Treasury, Legal, IT, Internal Audit, and business leaders to ensure payroll processes and data remain accurate, controlled, scalable, and responsive to the needs of the organization. Reporting to the Director of Shared Services, the Payroll Manager will have the opportunity to influence the future direction of payroll operations, technology, service delivery, and team development.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, human resources, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent combination of education, payroll certification, and relevant experience will be considered
Minimum seven years progressive payroll processing, preferably in a shared services environment, including at least three years in people leadership roles
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation strongly preferred; candidates without the designation should demonstrate equivalent technical payroll expertise
Advanced Excel and payroll-data analysis skills, including pivot tables, XLOOKUP, structured data analysis, reconciliations, and high-volume exception reporting
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Experience with ADP Workforce Now and Workday preferred
Outstanding people leader, organizational skills and ability to effectively lead a team within a high volume, service-related atmosphere, someone who encourages their team to contribute thoughts and ideas to drive improvement
Detail-oriented professional who can use data to diagnose issues, prioritize fixes, and report outcomes
Uses data, root-cause analysis, process mapping, and technology to simplify payroll processes, reduce errors, strengthen controls, and improve employee experience
Plans, prepares, communicates, trains, implements, and sustains new ways of working
Relationship builder with excellent communication skills (verbal and written) and proven ability to effectively communicate at all levels
Builds trust across Accounting, Procurement, Treasury, and other key stakeholders
Anticipates payroll risks, distinguishes urgent issues from structural opportunities, and delivers accurate outcomes under fixed payroll deadlines
Communicates pay-related issues with accuracy, discretion, urgency, and empathy while addressing root causes and maintaining appropriate confidentiality
Applies payroll regulations, company policies, collective bargaining provisions, and internal controls to complex situations, escalating appropriately when legal, tax, or employee-relations interpretation is required

Responsibilities

Lead accurate and timely end-to-end payroll processing, including regular, supplemental, and off-cycle payrolls
Establish and manage the payroll calendar, submission deadlines, review procedures, approvals, and escalation protocols
Review biweekly payroll registers, variance reports, exception reports, tax calculations, deductions, and funding requirements before final transmission
Oversee payroll-tax deposits, filings, reconciliations, W-2 processing, agency notices, garnishments, levies, and other statutory obligations
Oversee payroll processing and controls related to executive compensation programs, including incentive payments, deferred compensation arrangements, equity-related transactions, and other executive payroll components, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local wage, tax, record-retention, and payroll-reporting requirements
Oversee timekeeping, absence, and payroll-data interfaces, including resolution of failed or inaccurate transactions
Maintain effective payroll policies, procedures, internal controls, segregation of duties, system access, and audit trails
Partner with Accounting to support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close requirements
Support internal and external audits and ensure timely remediation of findings
Maintain payroll records in accordance with legal and company retention requirements
Lead, coach, and develop the payroll team, establishing clear responsibilities, goals, schedules, service levels, backup coverage, and development plans
Serve as the escalation point for complex associate-pay issues, ensuring timely, accurate, and empathetic resolution
Build effective partnerships with Human Resources, Accounting, Treasury, Legal, IT, Internal Audit, and business stakeholders
Manage payroll vendors, service levels, issue escalation, system releases, and continuous improvement opportunities
Establish business-continuity procedures to ensure payroll can be completed during system, staffing, or other operational disruptions
Lead payroll-system governance, configuration, testing, upgrades, integrations, and data-quality monitoring
Identify and implement automation and process improvements that reduce manual work, errors, cycle time, and control risk
Develop and monitor payroll KPIs, root-cause trends, and corrective-action plans
Support acquisitions, organizational changes, payroll conversions, and employee-data integrations
Maintain current knowledge of payroll legislation, market practices, and emerging payroll technologies
Partner with HRIS team to maintain payroll configuration, testing, and integrations within Workday and related payroll systems