Payroll and Timekeeping Manager

Daimler Truck•Portland, OR

2d•$128,000 - $164,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Payroll and Timekeeping Manager is responsible for the payroll and timekeeping functions for our U.S. and Canadian operations. This role involves overseeing payroll processing, as well as hourly timekeeping processing, ensuring compliance with U.S. and Canadian regulations, and leading a large, multi-state team to deliver accurate and timely payroll. This role requires a visionary leader with strong strategic and operational skills to manage both union and non-union employee payroll, optimize timekeeping systems, and drive continuous improvements. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional leadership, foster team development, and spearhead initiatives to improve system efficiency and compliance. The candidate will further have a comprehensive understanding of payroll regulations in both countries and be adept at managing complex payroll and timekeeping systems. This role requires an understanding of application, as related to pay topics, of Union Collective Bargaining Agreements. The role also serves as a strategic process improvement leader across the broader enterprise, identifying and advancing optimization opportunities beyond the immediate team, strengthening cross-functional workflows, and leveraging AI, automation, and KPI-driven management practices to improve service delivery, control effectiveness, scalability, and the employee experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, Business Administration, or a related field with 8 years of professional experience required
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with integrity.

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation preferred.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in multi-state payroll management, with experience in both U.S. and Canadian payroll processing highly desirable.
In-depth knowledge of U.S. and Canadian payroll regulations and compliance requirements as well as labor standards.
Proven experience in leading and managing a large, geographically dispersed team.
Proficiency in payroll and time keeping software & systems (Workday, WFM)
Experience working with Union Collective Bargaining Agreements
Experience leading enterprise process improvement initiatives, including cross-functional optimization, KPI-based performance management, and adoption of AI or automation solutions in HR, payroll, shared services, or other operational environments.

Responsibilities

Oversee and manage the end-to-end weekly and bi-weekly payroll process for roughly 24,000 employees across multiple States in the U.S. and Canada, including processing of base salary, bonuses, one-time payments and relevant deductions for hourly and salaried, contractual, and non-contractual employees.
Manage accurate processing of employee rate changes included within 16 union contracts.
Ensure accurate and timely processing of payroll in compliance with both U.S. and Canadian regulations.
Manage accurate processing of W2’s and 1099’s (U.S.) and T4’s (Can).
Ensure proper handling of court ordered wage garnishments and remittance to agencies.
Review/audit and validate weekly, bi-weekly, and special processing of monthly payments, including reconciled hours worked, overtime, deductions, and other withholdings.
Develop strong working relationships with Operations Management at Plant locations, local union memberships, shop committee members, and Labor Relations teams.
Serve as escalation point for all union contract issues regarding payroll and Time & Attendance topics.
Prioritize items for change or improvement during union contract negotiations and support efforts for proposed union contract changes related to Time & Attendance that require system or process updates.
Manage payroll processes that involve cross-border considerations, ensuring compliance with both U.S. and Canadian employment laws.
Coordinate with HR and finance teams in both countries to align payroll practices with organizational policies.
Manage complex Payroll and Timekeeping Projects.
Develop and execute a strategic plan for payroll and timekeeping that aligns with the company's broader goals and objectives.
Lead, mentor, and manage the payroll and timekeeping team, cultivating a culture of high performance, accountability, and professional growth.
Supervise, coach, and develop the payroll and time keeping team (approx. 33), providing process guidance, training, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
Identify training needs, design development programs, and provide ongoing coaching to enhance team capabilities and effectiveness.
Promote a collaborative and positive work environment, fostering professional development and growth as well as supporting company driven Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) initiatives.
Conduct regular performance evaluations, set clear objectives, and provide constructive feedback to team members to drive individual and team success.
Manage team members to standardized service levels for responding to employee inquiries promptly and accurately.
Assist in resolution and coach team members to confidence in resolving employee pay discrepancies as required, often making decisions to address complex or ambiguous scenarios.
Lead process improvement efforts that extend beyond the immediate payroll and timekeeping team by partnering with HR, Finance, IT, Operations, Labor Relations, and other stakeholders to simplify handoffs, remove upstream and downstream friction points, and improve end-to-end process performance across the employee lifecycle.
Collaborate closely with IT and HR Technology teams to implement and maintain payroll (Workday) and time keeping (UKG Workforce Management) systems, ensuring efficiency and accuracy of processing.
Test and advise on system enhancements/upgrades to ensure accuracy and downstream effects.
Identify, recommend, and implement improvements to payroll and time keeping processes and technology to enhance overall efficiency.
Maintain standard work instructions for payroll and time keeping processes.
Troubleshoot and resolve payroll/time keeping system issues, coordinating with IT, HR Digitalization, and external vendors as needed.
Audit, review, approve users access to Workday, UKG Workforce Management, maintaining proper system role securities.
Identify opportunities for process enhancements and drive initiatives to streamline operations, leveraging technology and best practices to achieve operational excellence.
Champion the responsible use of AI, automation, and digital tools to improve payroll and timekeeping operations, including exception handling, inquiry management, audit support, knowledge capture, and workflow efficiency, while ensuring appropriate governance, compliance, and change management.
Stay informed and educate payroll and time keeping team about U.S. and Canadian payroll regulations, including tax laws, labor laws, and compliance requirements and ensure that regulations are applied appropriately within the HRIS system (Workday).
Ensure quality of employee transaction flow through; perform verification and extensive check points to ensure quality for downstream payroll, benefit, and payroll funding/ government agency payment processing.
Manage appropriate report writing capabilities to perform/audit Payroll functions as well as providing key payroll metrics/reporting to management within HR and other business units.
Oversee preparation and submission of employee payroll tax filings, corporate filings, reports, and remittances to federal, state, provincial, and local agencies.
Manage adherence to all relevant labor laws and company policies, including minimum wage, overtime, and employee classification.
Ensure adherence to Collective Bargaining Agreements with local and international Unions.
Conduct regular periodic payroll audits to ensure accuracy and compliance with company policies, collective bargaining agreements, and legal requirements.
Answer audit inquiries from both internal and external audit agencies/partners.
Ensure proper segregation of duties within payroll processing to mitigate risk and meet audit requirements.
Create and maintain audits of variable pay, special payments, bonus, phantom share, executive deferred compensation, relocation, car values, and other special programs/payments and coordinate with Compensation on these special payments.
Document processes/controls for each program.
Partner with Accounting to reconcile payroll bank accounts and resolve discrepancies in a timely manner.
Ensure mapping and integrations to Daimler accounting system are accurate and performing properly.
Act as Payroll Internal Controls Systems management expert.
Produce and analyze comprehensive payroll and timekeeping reports, including labor cost reports, compliance metrics, and trend analyses.
Establish, monitor, and continuously improve a meaningful set of KPIs and service-level metrics for payroll and timekeeping operations, such as accuracy, timeliness, cycle time, exception volume, case resolution, compliance adherence, and employee experience measures; use insights to prioritize improvement initiatives, inform leadership decisions, and drive sustained operational excellence.
Maintain accurate and confidential payroll records and documentation, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Benefits

annual variable pay bonus program
eligible for the use of a company vehicle
401k company contribution with company match up to 6% as well as non-elective company contribution of 3 - 7% depending on age.
starting at 4 weeks paid vacation
13+ calendar holidays
8 weeks paid parental leave
employee assistance program
comprehensive health care plans and wellness programs
onsite fitness (at some locations)
tuition assistance and volunteer paid time off
short-term and long-term disability plans.