Senior Manager, Payroll
Dimensional Fund Advisors · Austin, United States · 1d ago
Job Description:
The Senior Manager, Payroll will drive payroll operational excellence by leading the firm’s payroll function to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery for Dimensional employees across U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions.
This role is responsible for operational excellence, payroll governance, team leadership, vendor management, process optimization and internal controls. Developing and maintaining collaborative partnerships with Human Resources, Accounting, Tax, Legal, and external payroll providers are key factors.
The ideal candidate must be able to lead on both the operational and strategic levels, possess global payroll expertise, and demonstrate strong executive communication skills.
Responsibilities:
Leadership and Operations
- Leads end-to-end payroll operations across multiple countries and regions (US, Canada, EMEA (UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands), Asia-Pac (Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore), ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing for both monthly and semi-monthly payroll cycles.
- Oversee payroll calendars, processing cycles, reconciliations, approvals, and funding activities.
- Ensure operational continuity and payroll delivery excellence across all payroll cycles.
- Serve as the senior escalation point for complex payroll issues and executive-level concerns.
- Partner with regional teams and external providers to ensure consistent execution globally.
Payroll Governance, Compliance & Controls
- Develop and maintain a strong payroll governance framework, including policies, procedures, controls, and documentation standards.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and international payroll regulations and tax requirements.
- Support payroll audits, tax reporting activities, and responses to payroll-related inquiries as the subject-matter expert.
- Assist with payroll reconciliations, year-end payroll activities, and required payroll reporting submissions.
- Monitor payroll risk areas and proactively implement mitigation strategies.
- Partner with Tax, Accounting, and Human Resources to ensure payroll-related reconciliations, incentives, and reporting are accurate and timely.
Vendor Management & Global Provider Oversight
- Manage relationships with global payroll providers and third-party vendors as the primary liaison.
- Establish vendor governance processes, including Service Level Agreement monitoring, issue escalation management, and scorecards.
- Evaluate provider performance and identify opportunities for operational improvement and service optimization.
- Participate in payroll-related projects, testing activities, and operational initiatives impacting payroll processes.
- undefined
Payroll Technology & Process Improvement
- Partner with HR Information Systems, Finance Systems, and Technology teams to optimize payroll systems, integrations, and workflows.
- Identify opportunities for automation, standardization, and process efficiencies.
- Lead payroll transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Improve payroll reporting, metrics, and operational visibility through Key Performance Indicator development and dashboard reporting.
- Reduce manual dependencies and improve payroll scalability and efficiency.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including experience leading a global payroll operations function.
- Leadership experience managing payroll teams and/or complex payroll functions.
- Strong knowledge of payroll regulations, payroll accounting, and compliance requirements.
- Demonstrated experience improving payroll processes, controls, and operational efficiency.
- Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience with Workday Payroll, OneSource Virtual (“OSV”), Deel, Oracle, or similar payroll platforms.
- Strong background in payroll governance, KPI reporting, and vendor management.
- Certified Payroll Professional (“CPP”) preferred.
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