Pay & Time Leader

Wabtec•Pittsburgh, PA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Pay & Time Leader is responsible for the end‑to‑end oversight, governance, and continuous improvement of U.S. payroll and time tracking operations. This role serves as the operational link between HR Operations, HRIS, Finance, IT, and HR leadership to ensure pay and time administration is accurate, compliant, efficient, and employee‑focused. The position provides hands‑on oversight of payroll and time tracking activities, with a strong focus on operational excellence, internal controls, system optimization, and consistent service delivery across the enterprise.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in U.S. payroll and time operations, including team management.
Deep knowledge of U.S. payroll regulations, payroll tax, and gross‑to‑net calculations.
5+ years’ of experience managing payroll and time tracking in a complex, multi‑site manufacturing environment, including union populations across multiple states and 23 legal entities.
Strong understanding of time tracking workflows, scheduling, and compliance requirements.
Experience with major systems such as Workday, ADP, WFM, and ServiceNow.
Proven ability to lead onsite and remote teams with strong leadership, communication and analytical skills.
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline or equivalent work experience.

Nice To Haves

CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification.
Advanced degrees in HR, Business, Accounting, or related field.
Experience driving global payroll or time tracking transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

Oversee payroll operations to ensure accurate and timely processing across all pay types, including on/off‑cycle, bonuses, equity, merit, deferred compensation, and relocation payments.
Ensure compliance and manage payroll risk across federal, state, provincial, and local wage, tax, and audit requirements.
Manage payroll systems and data integrity in coordination with HR, Finance, and IT, including validation of gross‑to‑net accuracy.
Maintain effective controls and procedures through documented SOPs, approvals, reconciliations, and regular process reviews.
Coordinate with vendors and internal partners supporting payroll, time, and tax operations.
Monitor payroll performance and reporting, including KPIs, audits, and operational metrics.
Oversee resolution of payroll issues, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
Ensure timely and accurate payroll tax filing and reconciliation across all required jurisdictions.
Oversee end‑to‑end time tracking governance, including system configuration, compliance rules, and workflow optimization.
Evaluate and improve time capture accuracy, labor tracking, scheduling workflows, and integrations between HRIS, time tracking, and payroll systems.
Partner with HRIS and IT to optimize technologies such as Workday, ADP, UKG Pro WFM, ServiceNow, and other platforms.
Build strong partnerships with HRBPs, COEs, Finance, IT, HR Operations, and external vendors.
Communicate progress, risks, and improvements through presentations, dashboards, and executive summaries.
Represent Pay & Time in enterprise programs, mergers, acquisitions, and transformation initiatives.
Manage, coach, and develop payroll and time tracking team members; set performance goals and monitor results.
Establish staffing plans and schedules to ensure consistent service delivery.
Build a high‑performing team culture centered on accuracy, integrity, and customer experience.
Lead process optimization, automation, and digitalization efforts across payroll and time tracking.
Analyze data to identify trends, cost savings, and opportunities for improvement.
Implement new policies, controls, and operational procedures aligned to evolving business needs.