Payroll SME Noth America

The Payroll Subject Matter Expert (SME) is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of an assigned payroll portfolio, primarily supporting North America. The role serves as the primary functional expert for payroll processes, systems, controls, and compliance while providing leadership, guidance, and oversight to the third-party payroll vendor analysts.

The Payroll SME partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Tax, IT, Global Mobility, and external vendors to ensure accurate, compliant, and efficient payroll delivery. In addition to operational ownership, the role leads payroll-related projects, supports transformation initiatives, drives continuous improvement, and provides backup support across payroll portfolios as needed.

Responsabilidades

Payroll Operations & Leadership

• Own the end-to-end payroll process for assigned portfolios, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery.
• Lead and coordinate third-party payroll analyst teams, providing functional direction, guidance, and oversight throughout the payroll cycle while ensuring adherence to service levels, quality standards, controls, and compliance requirements.
• Review payroll results, reconciliations, control reports, and exceptions; identify risks and discrepancies; and direct corrective actions to ensure payroll accuracy and control effectiveness.
• Approve payroll completion and coordinate funding, payment execution, and ad-hoc/off-cycle payments as required, ensuring employees and third parties are paid accurately and on time.
• Partner with HR, IT, Finance, Tax, Global Mobility, payroll vendors, and other stakeholders to resolve payroll issues and implement sustainable solutions.
• Guide third-party payroll analysts in identifying and resolving payroll discrepancies, and coordinate root cause analysis, testing, and corrective actions related to HCM-to-payroll interfaces, integrations, and data integrity.
• Support payroll accounting, reconciliations, tax-related activities, and payment processes for assigned payroll portfolios.
• Support audits, compliance activities, and reporting requirements while maintaining appropriate payroll controls and documentation.
  

Payroll Projects & Change Management

• Lead assigned projects and initiatives from planning through implementation, ensuring delivery against business, operational, compliance, timeline, and quality objectives.
• Coordinate project plans, stakeholders, risks, dependencies, testing activities, and system enhancements to support successful execution and implementation.
• Drive stakeholder engagement, change management, communication, and knowledge transfer activities to ensure effective adoption of new processes and solutions.
• Identify and implement opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen controls, improve automation, and enhance payroll efficiency, service quality, and employee experience.
• Promote standardization, best practices, and continuous improvement across payroll operations, supporting transformation initiatives and operational excellence.
  

Continuous Improvement & Operational Support

• Identify and implement opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen controls, improve automation, and enhance payroll efficiency, service quality, and employee experience.
• Promote standardization, best practices, and continuous improvement across payroll operations, supporting transformation initiatives and operational excellence.
• Provide backup support across payroll portfolios and critical payroll activities to ensure business continuity, knowledge sharing, and team capabilitydevelopment.
  

Calificaciones

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or a related field.
• 4+ years of payroll experience in complex environments, preferably supporting US, Canada, or regional operations within a Shared Services, Global Business Services (GBS), or outsourced payroll model.
• Demonstrated experience supporting US and / or Canadian payroll operations, including payroll taxation, compliance, controls, and year-end processing.
• Knowledge of payroll processes, controls, compliance, payroll accounting, and payroll systems.
• Experience working with payroll and HCM systems (e.g., Oracle, ADP, SHARP), including system integrations, data validation, and issue resolution.
• Experience leading payroll-related projects and cross-functional initiatives, including system implementations, transformations, automation, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders across functions, countries, and organizational levels.