Sr Manager, Payroll Compliance/Operations - Global Industrial

Genuine Parts Company•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Payroll Compliance/Operations leads payroll operations for a complex international and multi-state organization and reports directly to the Director of Payroll. The role ensures accurate and compliant payroll processing while providing leadership to a team of payroll professionals. The position partners with Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Internal Audit, and senior business leaders to support organizational goals, financial reporting requirements, and SOX compliance. It also influences payroll strategy, leads process improvements, develops talent, and drives operational excellence. The role oversees full-cycle payroll operations, payroll accounting, compliance, internal controls, audit activities, and payroll systems. As the Payroll functional lead for Workday Absence, Payroll, and Time and Scheduling, the Senior Manager partners with HRIS, IT, Finance, and business stakeholders to optimize processes and system performance. Supervisory responsibility is listed as 2–5 direct reports; the summary describes leadership of approximately 10 payroll professionals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; a master’s degree is preferred.
Ten or more years of progressive payroll experience, including significant experience managing multi-state payroll operations.
Five or more years of leadership experience managing payroll teams.
Experience with Workday Payroll and Workday HCM.
Extensive knowledge of full-cycle payroll processing and administration.
Strong understanding of payroll tax regulations, wage and hour laws, and payroll compliance requirements.
Experience supporting payroll accounting, including journal entries, reconciliations, accruals, and month-end close processes.
Demonstrated experience working within a SOX-controlled environment.
Experience supporting internal and external audit activities.
Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and experience using payroll reporting tools.
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.

Responsibilities

Lead full-cycle international and multi-state payroll processing for exempt and non-exempt employees.
Ensure payroll is accurate, timely, and compliant with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
Oversee earnings, deductions, taxation, garnishments, benefits, direct deposits, and year-end processing.
Manage payroll calendars, processing schedules, quality controls, and service-level expectations.
Review payroll audits, exception reports, reconciliations, and data validation processes.
Lead, coach, and develop payroll professionals; set performance expectations and accountability; conduct performance reviews, succession planning, and career development; and support onboarding and training.
Promote continuous improvement, customer service, collaboration, and compliance.
Partner with Finance and Accounting to ensure payroll transactions are accurately reflected in the general ledger.
Oversee payroll accruals, journal entries, and month-end close activities.
Ensure payroll data supports accurate financial reporting and forecasting; analyze payroll trends and provide reporting and recommendations to leadership.
Maintain and strengthen payroll controls in a SOX-compliant environment and ensure adherence to regulations, wage and hour laws, tax requirements, and company policies.
Develop, monitor, and improve payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls.
Partner with Internal Audit and Compliance to evaluate and mitigate payroll-related risks; maintain supporting control documentation and evidence.
Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external payroll audits, coordinate requests, and provide supporting documentation on time.
Resolve complex payroll issues and escalations for employees, leaders, and stakeholders; identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
Serve as the Payroll functional lead for Workday Absence, Payroll, and Time and Scheduling, partnering with HRIS, IT, Finance, and business stakeholders to optimize processes and system performance.
Oversee payroll-related Workday configuration, testing, validation, and release management.
Lead payroll participation in Workday enhancements, upgrades, integrations, and new functionality deployments.
Ensure data integrity between Workday Payroll, HCM, Benefits, Time Tracking, Finance, and third-party systems.
Develop and maintain Workday payroll reporting, dashboards, and analytics.
Identify opportunities to use Workday functionality to improve efficiency, controls, and employee experience.