Payroll Consultant

Aston Carter•City of White Plains, NY

5d•$70 - $80•Remote

About The Position

The Payroll Consultant is a strategic and passionate leader responsible for driving and elevating payroll operations to service over 3,500 colleagues across North America. This role requires developing and leading a high-performing team focused on delivering accurate, compliant, and timely payroll with zero margin for error across the US and Canada. More than transactional, this position requires a hands-on operator and people leader who thrives in complexity, champions process standardization through Workday, and prioritizes both employee experience and financial integrity.

Requirements

Strong payroll audit project experience.
Experience with multistate payroll for the US, specifically in California.
Proven experience managing payroll for 2000+ employees.
Advanced working knowledge of Workday Payroll.
Extensive multi-state and local payroll tax knowledge, including registration and compliance.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive payroll experience, including U.S. and Canadian payroll.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field; CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience transforming payroll and benefits functions to maximize automation, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage project plans, dependencies, critical path activities, and milestones.
HRIS experience with Workday and integration with payroll systems is a plus.
Familiarity with global mobility and expatriate taxation matters is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a long-term payroll strategy for North America, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and alignment with organizational objectives.
Drive harmonization and automation of payroll processes across key areas, including 401(k) reconciliation and Workday earning code mapping to GL.
Lead and manage payroll-related projects, including system upgrades, integrations/migrations, vendor transitions, and process improvement initiatives.
Partner with HR, Finance, and IT teams to align payroll operations with broader organizational strategies.
Oversee the accurate and timely processing of payroll for employees throughout North America, including salary, bonuses, benefits, and other compensation elements.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local payroll tax laws and regulations, including multi-state payroll tax registrations and updates.
Manage year-end payroll activities, including tax reporting and reconciliation processes.
Act as the primary point of contact for payroll-related audits, including internal and external audits, state audits, and workers compensation reviews.
Lead, coach, and mentor a team of payroll professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Establish clear performance metrics, SLAs, and KPIs for the payroll team to ensure high-quality service delivery.
Provide training and development opportunities to enhance team capabilities and expertise.
Implement and maintain robust 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 and state agencies to resolve tax-related issues and maintain employer compliance.
Act as the Functional Lead in Workday Payroll improvement projects, ensuring optimal utilization of the platform.
Evaluate and recommend third-party vendors to support payroll operations, year-end readiness, and special projects.
Identify opportunities for process automation and implement best practices to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
Develop analytics and reporting tools to monitor payroll performance and support decision-making.
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 to address expatriate tax matters and ensure accurate reporting on tax forms.