Payroll Manager US & Canada

Solera•Westlake, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Solera is seeking a highly detail-oriented and results-driven Payroll Manager to lead end-to-end payroll operations across the United States and Canada. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing in a complex multi-state and multi-provincial environment, while driving process improvements, strengthening controls, and enhancing reporting capabilities. The ideal candidate combines deep technical payroll expertise with strong leadership and stakeholder management skills, and thrives in a fast-paced, evolving organization. This role is critical to ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while strengthening compliance, improving processes, and supporting the organization’s broader finance transformation initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience).
7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including multi-state U.S. payroll; Canadian payroll experience required.
3+ years of leadership experience managing payroll teams.
Strong experience with Workday Payroll and ADP solutions (Workforce Now and/or Celergo preferred).
Deep knowledge of U.S. and Canadian payroll regulations, tax compliance, and filings.
Solid understanding of payroll accounting, including journal entries, reconciliations, and financial reporting impacts.
Experience in a high-volume, multi-entity, or decentralized environment.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and compliance.
Proven problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze complex payroll issues and implement solutions.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; able to influence across all levels of the organization.
High level of integrity and ability to manage confidential information.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and meet tight deadlines.
Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on automation, efficiency, and scalability.
Customer-service orientation with a focus on employee experience.
Experience leveraging AI and automation tools to improve payroll accuracy, reporting, issue resolution, and process efficiency while maintaining strong controls, compliance, and data privacy.

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
Experience supporting payroll transformations, system implementations, or centralization efforts.
Exposure to global payroll environments or shared services models.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a payroll team responsible for bi-weekly payroll for 2,000+ employees across the U.S. and Canada.
Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, including earnings, deductions, taxes, and off-cycle payments.
Oversee payroll-related activities managed by third-party providers (e.g., ADP) to ensure data integrity, compliance, and service quality.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local payroll laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements.
Review and approve payroll reconciliations, including general ledger postings, accruals, and variance analysis.
Investigate and resolve complex payroll issues, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
Maintain and optimize payroll systems (Workday, ADP), including tax table updates, configurations, and integrations.
Drive payroll process improvements, automation, and standardization initiatives to enhance efficiency and controls.
Develop and deliver payroll reporting (bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and year-end) for management and audit purposes.
Partner cross-functionally with HR, Finance, IT, and external vendors to support business priorities and system enhancements.
Support audits (internal and external) by ensuring documentation, controls, and compliance requirements are met.
Contribute to the evolution of a more centralized, scalable payroll operating model.