AVP, Payroll Operations

Arch Capital Group Ltd.; United States; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Multiple medical plans

401k with generous matching

20 days PTO per year

Up to 12 paid holidays

Paid Parental Leave

Job summary

A leading financial services firm in the United States seeks an Assistant Vice President for Payroll Operations. The role involves ensuring the execution of payroll operations with expertise in Workday Payroll and ADP SmartCompliance, and includes leadership of the payroll team. Candidates must have at least 10 years of experience in payroll roles, ideally within a publicly traded company. The work schedule is hybrid, with two days in the office and three days working remotely. Comprehensive benefits include medical plans, 401k matching, and generous PTO.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in progressively senior payroll roles within complex North America payroll environments.
• Strong command of payroll tax compliance requirements, including filings and audits.
• Background supporting equity and ESPP payroll reporting for a publicly traded company.

Responsibilities

• Own North America payroll operations with accurate and timely payroll delivery.
• Lead payroll operations leaders and talent development.
• Establish payroll controls, risk management, and SOX compliance.

Skills

Workday Payroll

ADP SmartCompliance

Payroll compliance

Global mobility knowledge

Leadership skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration

Job description

The Assistant Vice President (AVP), Payroll Operations is a senior payroll leader responsible for the execution of North America payroll operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and scalable payroll delivery. Reporting to the Vice President, Payroll & Equity Operations, this role serves as a critical link between strategy and execution, with accountability for operational performance, governance and risk management. The AVP advances service excellence and payroll modernization in support of business growth, leveraging deep expertise in Workday Payroll and ADP SmartCompliance. This role would be a great fit for candidates who have previous payroll leadership experience from a publicly traded company, with exposure to equity plans and ESPP. Experience in Workday and ADP Smart Compliance is required. This role will sit in the Raleigh office on a hybrid schedule: two days in the office and three days remote.

Job Responsibilities

• Own North America payroll operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery across all entities and pay groups
• Lead payroll operations leaders, with accountability for results, talent development, and sustained service excellence
• Establish and govern payroll controls, risk management practices, audit readiness, and SOX compliance
• Direct payroll compliance for complex employee populations, including global mobility, expatriate, and cross‑border tax scenarios, ensuring accurate sourcing, withholding, and reporting
• Ensure effective execution of payroll tax operations, including tax filings, reconciliations, and end‑to‑end resolution of tax notices and inquiries
• Serve as the senior functional owner for Workday Payroll and ADP SmartCompliance, ensuring disciplined system use, strong controls, and timely delivery of regulatory updates and enhancements
• Oversee payroll processing of share‑based compensation taxable events, with specific expertise in payroll tax reporting obligations related to stock options, restricted stock, and ESPP transactions
• Maintain alignment between payroll processing, general ledger mapping, and financial reporting requirements, with strong understanding of accounting impacts
• Monitor and analyze payroll KPIs and operational metrics to drive performance, transparency, and continuous improvement
• Drive process standardization, scalability, and control enhancements to strengthen payroll operations and the employee payroll experience
• Shape and implement operational priorities within the Payroll team to ensure they support overall departmental goals and organizational requirements

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent education and background
• 10+ years in progressively senior payroll roles within complex North America payroll environments
• Advanced proficiency in Workday Payroll and ADP SmartCompliance
• Strong command of payroll tax compliance requirements, including filings, audits, and notice resolution
• Comprehensive knowledge of global mobility and cross‑border payroll concepts, including expatriate taxation and related compliance considerations
• Background supporting equity and ESPP payroll reporting for a publicly traded company
• Proven people leadership capability, including leading managers and developing high‑performing teams
• Demonstrated capability managing outsourced payroll vendors and service providers, with focus on service quality, compliance, and issue resolution

Benefits

Arch is committed to helping employees succeed through a comprehensive benefits package that includes multiple medical plans, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage; a competitive 401k with generous matching; PTO beginning at 20 days per year; up to 12 paid company holidays per year plus 2 paid days of Volunteer Time Offer; basic Life and AD&D Insurance as well as Short and Long‑Term Disability; Paid Parental Leave of up to 10 weeks; Student Loan Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement, Backup Child and Elder Care; and more.