Director, Payroll

CAI Cox Automotive Corp Svcs., LLC; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Holiday pay

Job summary

Cox Automotive seeks a Director of Payroll & Timekeeping to lead Payroll Operations for ~27,000 employees. You will drive end-to-end payroll and timekeeping with a focus on compliance, accuracy, and efficiency, collaborating across Finance, Employment Tax, and HR to standardize processes.

The role demands strong leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on delivery in a fast-paced environment, with hybrid work and travel up to 10%.

Qualifications

• BS/BA degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, HR, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of relevant experience with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Extensive knowledge of pay, time and service delivery systems; experience in a decentralized, manufacturing-type environment.
• Payroll certification and knowledge of US tax requirements; Canada/U.S. familiarity preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the time and payroll specialty team within Employee Services Center.
• Ensure timely and accurate time and payroll processing for NA workforce (weekly/bi-weekly, exempt/non-exempt, multi-status).
• Partner with Rewards and IT teams to set pay/time rules, prioritize programs, and drive system investments.
• Direct policy development to meet strategic objectives and drive process improvements.
• Meet SLA metrics for payroll quality, cost, and service delivery; manage vendor relationships.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Timekeeping expertise

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS/BA in Finance, Accounting, Business, HR or related

Tools

Workday

Kronos

ServiceNow

Job description

Company Cox Automotive - USA Job Family Group People Solutions Job Profile Director, Payroll Management Level Director Flexible Work Option Hybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the week Travel % Yes, 5% of the time Work Shift Day

Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $134,900.00 - $224,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

The Director of Payroll & Timekeeping is a key member of the People Solutions Operations Employee Services leadership team with primary responsibility for timekeeping and payroll operations for Cox Automotive’s ~27,000 and growing employee base. This leader works with the Senior Director, Employee Services and other HR shared service leaders to deliver a seamless, effective end-to-end experience. This is accomplished by collaboration within Cox Automotive and across the Cox divisions Centers of Excellence to create solutions for time and pay design, compliance, delivery and support. Key activities for this role include acquisition and divestiture integration, cloud-based systems optimization, and management of the weekly, bi-weekly, and cyclical execution and delivery. This leader sets the priorities and focus for a team of ~10 employees (includes 2 people leaders) to clarify, document, train, audit, and control pay activities to adhere to federal, state, and local compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Cox Automotive time and pay specialty team within the Employee Services Center.
• Ensure timely and accurate execution of time and payroll processing for the North American workforce, including weekly / bi-weekly, non-exempt / exempt, part- / full-time, and special audiences (e.g., collectively bargained, sales, mobile, executives)
• Partners with the Cox Automotive Total Rewards Center of Excellence and Cox Enterprise Time and Pay teams to set key requirements for pay and time rules and practices, including program prioritization, systems, investments, process transformation, talent development and change management.
• Directs the recommendation, development, and execution of applicable policies that meet strategic objectives and lead to process improvement.
• Responsible for generating and meeting Service Level Agreements for key payroll quality / cost / service delivery metrics.
• Provides thought leadership for proactive problem-solving and large-scale actions, such as acquisitions, restructures, coverage and program expansion, and other organizational and business shifts.
• Partners and aligns with key stakeholders across the entire employee lifecycle process, including Finance, Employment Tax, Employment Law, Compensation, HRBPs, and Compliance.
• Accelerates scale through automation and the introduction of advanced payroll technologies, continuous monitoring, and quality assurance as part of overall roadmap to cultivate standardization with limited planned variation for business needs, automation, and overall process excellence.

Desired Experience & Specialized Knowledge and skills

BS/BA degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, HR, or related discipline with advanced degree preferred. 10+ years of relevant experience with at least 5 years’ experience in a leadership role. Comprehensive knowledge of pay, time and service delivery systems are critical, especially in a decentralized, manufacturing-type environment; experience with Workday, Kronos, ServiceNow and leading-edge cloud solutions strongly preferred. Payroll certification and knowledge of Canada and US tax requirements, pay rules and regulations, and collectively bargained environments strongly preferred. Outstanding team leadership and management, stakeholder engagement, peer collaboration and executive interaction a must combined with strong work ethic and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, demanding environment. Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written; physical ability and mental acuity to work under tight timeframes. Vendor management and ability to lead and influence partners and internal clients at all levels within the organization. Other duties as needed or required with some travel (~10%).

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

• Flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations
• Seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year
• Up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members
• Additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave
• Health care insurance (medical, dental, vision)
• Retirement planning (401(k))
• Paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO)

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship. EOE, including disability/vets

Eligibility

Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.

About the Company Culture

Cox brings together the world’s greatest minds to help breathe life into new possibilities – and drive innovation for a better future. That’s why we look for individuals who share our pioneering spirit, have imaginative ideas and are fearless when it comes to tackling the world’s biggest challenges. Our people love technology – and they love making a difference. They have a passion for finding new solutions and working with brilliant colleagues. Every day they dedicate themselves to a huge range of exciting projects, contributing to the Cox vision around the globe. From engineering new sustainability solutions that conserve water and energy to creating the infrastructure for the smart cities of tomorrow, there’s no challenge too great for our pioneers. And there’s no shortage of opportunities for you to make a difference. Come and experience the dynamic, collaborative and creative environments where your ideas are welcome and new discoveries are waiting. To help you grow to your full potential, we strive to support our employees in their career aspirations and promote the freedom to explore new horizons.