Regional Payroll Operations Lead - Americas

Atlas HXM

4d • Remote

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Regional Payroll Lead to support our clients. The role will oversee day-to-day Payroll operations across multiple countries within North and South America. This role owns regional service delivery performance, escalations, compliance, and continuous improvement, ensuring timely, accurate, and high-quality HR support for employees and managers. The successful candidate will blend deep Payroll expertise with strong people, customer service, and transformation skills. They will partner closely with internal teams (HR, Payroll, Shared Services, Legal, Finance) and external vendors to deliver consistent, compliant, and scalable service delivery. This role is a hands-on, individual contributor who can proactively address complex issues while standardizing processes across diverse jurisdictions.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in multi-country payroll operations within North and South America
• Demonstrated experience managing end-to-end payroll across multiple jurisdictions
• Deep knowledge of regulations, GDPR, and country-specific statutory frameworks
• Experience managing external payroll vendors and in-country partners
• Proven ability to own escalations, compliance, and payroll governance
• Strong experience with payroll systems, HRIS platforms, and data validation/reconciliation processes
• Ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements and apply them operationally
• Strong analytical, leadership, and stakeholder management skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience within an EOR (Employer of Record) or global employment model
• Exposure to cross-border payroll scenarios and expatriate populations
• Proficiency in multiple payroll systems or platforms
• Fluency in English; additional applicable language(s) strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• Assist in oversight of the end-to-end payroll operations across all assigned countries within region, ensuring adherence to payroll calendars, processing timelines, and defined SLAs
• Validate that payroll inputs, calculations, and outputs are processed accurately by vendors and internal teams prior to finalization
• Review and approve payroll reconciliations, including gross-to-net analysis, funding alignment, and variance explanations
• Ensure all payroll cycles are supported by documented validation, approvals, and audit trails
• Confirm payroll outputs align with employment agreements, client requirements, and statutory obligations
• Drive compliance with regional directives, GDPR requirements, and country-specific payroll laws, including tax, social security, and labor regulations
• Monitor and interpret regulatory changes (e.g., GDPR updates, local reforms, collective agreements) and ensure timely implementation into payroll processes
• Validate that statutory filings, submissions, and year-end reporting are completed accurately and within required deadlines
• Maintain and oversee country-specific compliance documentation, playbooks, and control frameworks
• Ensure payroll processes meet audit and regulatory standards, including readiness for internal and external audits
• Own performance management of external payroll vendors and ICPs, including SLA adherence, accuracy, and compliance delivery
• Review and validate vendor payroll outputs, statutory filings, and reporting prior to approval
• Conduct regular performance reviews of vendors, including issue tracking, root cause trends, and corrective action plans
• Lead vendor onboarding, transitions, and offboarding, ensuring continuity of payroll operations and compliance coverage
• Act as the primary escalation point for vendor-related issues, ensuring timely resolution and accountability
• Act as the final escalation point for complex payroll issues impacting employees, clients, or regulatory compliance
• Lead resolution of issues involving tax authorities, social insurance bodies, and statutory disputes
• Provide expert guidance on cross-border payroll scenarios, including posted workers, multi-country taxation, and expatriate considerations
• Review and approve corrective actions, including off-cycle payments, adjustments, and statutory corrections
• Ensure all escalations are documented with root cause, resolution, and preventive actions
• Establish and enforce payroll control frameworks, including validation checkpoints, reconciliation standards, and approval processes
• Ensure execution of pre- and post-payroll controls, including data validation, variance thresholds, and compliance checks
• Identify and mitigate payroll risks, including compliance exposure, calculation errors, and vendor performance gaps
• Maintain complete audit documentation, including payroll reports, approvals, reconciliations, and statutory records
• Ensure a zero-defect / zero-penalty mindset, proactively addressing risks before payroll finalization
• Mentor, coach, and develop a team of Payroll Specialists, ensuring clarity of roles, workload distribution, and performance expectations
• Review team output for accuracy, completeness, and compliance adherence
• Set and monitor individual and team performance against SLAs, KPIs, and quality standards
• Provide guidance on complex payroll scenarios, statutory interpretation, and escalation handling
• Ensure team adherence to documented processes, controls, and service delivery standards
• Partner with HR, Benefits, Finance, Legal, and Customer Success to ensure accurate payroll inputs and compliance alignment
• Coordinate with Finance on funding, FX requirements, GL mapping, and payroll accounting alignment
• Collaborate with Benefits teams on statutory and supplemental programs (e.g., pensions, health schemes)
• Ensure data integrity across HRIS, payroll systems, and vendor platforms
• Drive resolution of upstream issues impacting payroll by enforcing accountability across functions
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance payroll accuracy, efficiency, and scalability
• Drive standardization of payroll processes and controls across countries and vendors
• Monitor payroll performance using KPIs and SLAs, including accuracy, timeliness, and compliance metrics
• Maintain incident tracking and reporting, ensuring trends are analyzed and addressed
• Identify opportunities for automation and system optimization, reducing manual intervention and risk

Benefits

• Country-specific benefits
• Flexible PTO
• Your birthday off
• A day for you to volunteer and give back to the organization of your choice
• Generous Parental Leave Program
• Growth and development opportunities with access to a top learning content provider

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed