Global Payroll & Compensation Manager

Vaco; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is hiring a Global Payroll & Compensation Manager in Midtown Manhattan. The role oversees global payroll operations and compensation accounting across multiple jurisdictions, serving as the functional lead for vendor relationships, financial reconciliation, system implementations, and regulatory compliance.

You will direct payroll vendors, publish the annual payroll calendar, ensure compliance with wage and tax laws, and manage audits with Corporate Finance support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• 7–10+ years of multi-state US and international payroll operations experience.
• Advanced proficiency in payroll accounting, reconciliations, tax compliance, and HRIS/Payroll systems (Workday, ADP Global, Deel)

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end global payroll across US and international entities.
• Direct payroll software vendors and ensure SLA adherence.
• Publish global payroll calendar and enforce deadlines.
• Ensure compliance with wage/hour laws and tax filings.
• Lead statutory audits and maintain internal controls.

Skills

Global payroll

Regulatory compliance

Vendor management

Financial reconciliation

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

Workday

ADP Global

Deel

Job description

Client: Financial Services Firm

Role: Global Payroll & Compensation Manager

Salary: $120,000 - $140,000/annually + Bonus & Benefits

Location: Midtown, Manhattan - 3 days a week onsite - 2 days WFH

Job Description

Position Overview

Oversee global payroll operations and compensation accounting across multiple international jurisdictions. This role serves as the functional lead for global vendor relationships, financial reconciliation, system implementations, and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Global Payroll Operations & Compliance

• Oversee end-to-end global payroll processing across multi-state US operations and international entities (France, UK, UAE, Australia, Japan, and expanding regions).
• Direct payroll software vendors and third-party global providers to ensure SLA adherence, prompt issue resolution, and streamlined service delivery.
• Publish and maintain the global annual payroll calendar, enforcing key processing deadlines and cross-functional requirements.
• Guarantee strict compliance with international, federal, state, and local wage/hour laws, statutory tax filings, and reporting standards.

Compensation Accounting & Financial Oversight

• Prepare, post, and reconcile all compensation-related journal entries, maintaining granular audit trails and underlying calculations.
• Build and manage budgets, forecasts, and variance analyses for global compensation and benefit costs in partnership with Corporate Finance.
• Manage balance sheet reconciliations for payroll and compensation accounts, resolving variances prior to monthly close.
• Lead statutory audit processes by preparing supporting schedules, internal control documentation, and direct auditor communications.

Payroll Administration & System Management

• Execute compensation initiatives, including base salary adjustments, bonus distributions, and long-term incentive plan (LTIP) payouts.
• Maintain complete accuracy of employee tax profiles, deductions, benefits, and salary data across all systems.
• Lead payroll system implementations, upgrades, and integrations to enhance internal controls and process automation.
• Resolve escalated employee inquiries regarding compensation, taxation, and payroll processing.
• Support ad-hoc HR, Finance, and People Operations projects as needed.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience: 7-10+ years of progressive experience managing multi-state US and international payroll operations, alongside strong payroll accounting exposure.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in payroll accounting, financial reconciliations, tax compliance, and modern HRIS/Payroll systems (e.g., Workday, ADP Global, Deel, or similar).

EEO Notice

Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law.

Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [e-mail].

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

you further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application.

For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring's discussions with its Client, Highspring's understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly).

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.