Senior Manager, US Payroll

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Are you ready to lead one of the most complex payroll landscapes in our industry and turn precision, automation, and insight into a strategic advantage? In this role, you will own end-to-end US payroll delivery for 18,000+ employees across eight legal entities and all 50 states, ensuring every payment, tax, and control lands right the first time. Your work will keep our business moving at pace so our teams can focus on delivering life-changing medicines to patients. Based in Gaithersburg, MD and connected across our global enterprise, you will partner with HR, Finance, IT, and external vendors to optimize Workday Payroll and Workday Time and Absence, modernize processes, and use data and AI to raise quality and speed. Can you see yourself building a best-in-class payroll engine that blends strong controls with a great employee experience?

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, HR, or related field (or High School diploma or GED with 5 years experience in managing a large (10,000+ employees) payroll function and multiple legal entities).
8–10+ years of progressive US payroll experience, including 3–5+ years leading a payroll team or function.
Proven experience supporting large, complex, multi‑entity, multi‑state US payrolls.
Experience managing International Assignee payroll.
Strong knowledge of US payroll, tax, and wage & hour regulations.
Hands-on experience with Workday HCM, Workday Payroll, and Workday Time and Absence.
Demonstrated people leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
Comfort working with data, metrics, advanced Excel, and automation/AI to drive continuous improvement.
Deep technical payroll expertise with strong attention to detail and commitment to data integrity.
Strong people leadership skills, with proven ability to develop and motivate teams.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to interpret data and translate into actionable insights.
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Ability to explain complex payroll topics to non‑experts.
Demonstrated ability to operate in a fast-paced, matrixed environment, managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
High level of integrity, discretion, and respect for confidentiality and data privacy.

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP).
Experience in a global, highly regulated environment and/or shared services model.
Canada payroll experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead all US payroll operations (regular, off‑cycle, bonus, year‑end) across multiple entities and all 50 states.
Ensure accurate, timely payroll in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and company policies.
Own and enhance payroll controls, documentation, reconciliations, and audit readiness (SOX/FCF controls and internal/external audits).
Manage, coach, and develop the US payroll team.
Act as the senior POC for complex issues.
Partner closely with HR, HR Operations, Benefits, Finance, Accounting, Tax, and external vendors.
Optimize and integrate processes in Workday Payroll and Workday Time and Absence, using automation and AI tools (e.g. Power BI, Power Automate, Copilot, Claude) to improve accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience.
Partner with HRIS, IT, and vendors to manage the payroll system landscape.
Lead or support cross-functional projects such as system upgrades, integrations, acquisitions/divestitures, new entity setups, and operating model changes.
Define and track key performance indicators and critical metrics for payroll accuracy, timeliness, and service quality.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives.
Oversee year-end payroll activities, including W‑2 processing, reconciliations, and statutory reporting.