Senior Payroll Manager

Millennium•New York, NY

3d•$160,000 - $250,000

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Manager to join our Human Resources team and lead and support the delivery of US, Americas, and expatriate payroll for 3,000+ employees in a fast-paced, high-control environment. This role will act as the internal payroll tax subject matter expert, partnering closely with HR (Benefits, Compensation, Global Mobility), as well as Finance and Legal.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required (Accounting/Finance or another business-related field preferred)
10+ years of multi-state payroll management experience in a complex business environment
Deep expertise in employment taxes, wage reporting, and multi-jurisdictional taxation (including mobility/expatriate considerations)
Thorough understanding of full-cycle payroll and the ability to explain payroll impacts to the general ledger/accounting
Proven ability to research, interpret, and implement regulatory changes
Workday Payroll experience required (experience with other large-scale payroll platforms a plus)
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
Strong communication skills (verbal and written); comfortable presenting to and partnering with senior stakeholders
Proven experience with vendor management, project management, and driving process improvements
Highly detail-oriented, strong ownership mindset, and able to operate effectively under tight deadlines while maintaining confidentiality

Responsibilities

Manage and support the end-to-end delivery of bi-monthly US, Puerto Rico and expatriate payroll in Workday, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and strong controls
Provide leadership, coaching, and development for the payroll team
Partner with Finance and internal stakeholders to collect, validate, and process payroll inputs each pay period (e.g., deferred compensation, referral bonuses, taxable benefits, 401(k))
Serve as the internal payroll tax and compliance SME, including deep knowledge of: multi-state and multi-jurisdictional taxation (US domestic and international cross-border) wage reporting, taxable income treatment, and employment tax rules employee mobility (remote work, multi-state workers, business travelers, domestic/international assignments) US Citizens worldwide wage and tax requirements
Evaluate the payroll and tax impact of employee mobility and ensure appropriate reporting/withholding treatment
Monitor changing federal/state/local regulations; assess business impact and lead implementation of policy, process, and system updates
Manage quarterly and annual processes including tax filings, reconciliations, and W-2 production
Lead the W-2 process with the vendor, including review of additional earnings and validation of accuracy/timeliness
Oversee internal and external audits and compliance reporting (including 401(k) and Workers’ Compensation)
Design, enhance, and monitor payroll controls, reconciliations, and review processes; ensure audit-ready documentation
Manage third-party payroll/tax vendors (registrations, tax notices, quarterly/annual reconciliations, filings, and payments)
Partner with HRIS/HR Systems teams on Workday Payroll updates, releases, testing plans, and post-release validations
Drive operational efficiency via process improvement, automation, and KPI development
Respond to employee inquiries and develop employee communications as needed
Produce routine and ad hoc reporting and support special projects as required