Senior Manager, Payroll & Benefits

About This Role

Lead Woolpert's payroll and benefits team, overseeing complex functions, supporting international expansion, and ensuring compliance across jurisdictions. This role serves as a Tier III escalation point and partners with various internal and external stakeholders to deliver accurate payroll and compliant benefits programs globally.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Tier III escalation lead for payroll and benefits inquiries
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and functional leadership to the payroll and benefits team
• Partner with HR Operations, Regional HR, and Finance for timely, accurate, and supportive payroll and benefits assistance
• Support employees through complex payroll and benefits situations, including international hires, leave pay, garnishments, and corrections
• Oversee compliance with wage & hour laws, benefits eligibility rules, tax withholding requirements, and reporting standards
• Implement and maintain standard operating procedures, controls, and documentation for consistency across payroll and benefits workflows
• Coordinate and oversee quarterly and annual payroll filings, including W2s and 1095Cs
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives for payroll and benefits, identifying automation opportunities
• Collaborate with IT and HRIS to advance Dayforce functionality, including configuration enhancements and integrations
• Support implementation of new payroll structures for acquisitions globally
• Manage vendor relationships at an advanced level, including benefits carriers, brokers, and payroll providers
• Oversee complex payroll audits, benefits compliance reviews, and regulatory responses
• Ensure Woolpert’s payroll and benefits programs meet high standards of accuracy, compliance, and competitiveness
• Establish and track KPIs for accuracy, service delivery, processing speed, and compliance targets
• Oversee reconciliations, complex pay adjustments, leave pay calculations, and escalated discrepancies
• Provide balanced recommendations considering legal compliance, operational efficiency, and employee experience
• Apply strong judgment when addressing sensitive pay or benefits matters, ensuring confidentiality and equitable solutions
• Support organizational growth while maintaining healthy workload distribution and sustainable processes
• Lead and develop a small team and/or cross functional workstreams
• Support M&A integration for payroll/benefits, including transitioning acquired firms onto standard calendars, plans, and systems

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or related field
• 12 years of experience in payroll processing and benefits administration
• Experience with Ceridian/Dayforce or similar HCM/payroll systems
• Analytical rigor
• Vendor management
• Process design
• Data integrity
• Service orientation
• Stakeholder communication
• High integrity and ability to handle sensitive information with discretion
• Proficiency with Dayforce (or comparable HCM/payroll), Excel, and vendor portals
• Knowledge of multi-state payroll laws, tax regulations, and benefits compliance
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication, customer service, and cross-functional partnering skills
• Ability to manage deadlines across multiple time zones

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or related field
• 12 years of experience in payroll processing and benefits administration

Nice to Have

• Global experience coordinating payroll/benefits across at least 3 countries (e.g., EMEA or APAC) with in country providers
• Experience leading OE implementations, system upgrades, or multi country payroll launches in Dayforce

Skills

* Required skills

Benefits

Certifications