Head of North America Payroll

State Street; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 189,000; Full time

Job summary

State Street is seeking a Head of North America Payroll, VP, to lead end-to-end payroll for the United States and Canada, collaborating with global HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, Technology, and third-party providers. You will drive a transformation roadmap, strengthen controls, and ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll deliverables across the region.

The role requires 10–15 years in payroll with strong leadership, governance, and change-management skills, plus Experience with Workday and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with 10–15 years of payroll experience.
• Experience leading US and Canadian payroll operations.
• Proven ability to design and manage payroll risk and controls.
• Experience transforming payroll operations through redesign, automation, and technology.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of people management to engage employees.
• Oversee end-to-end payroll for US and Canada, including taxes and year-end activities.
• Design and sustain payroll risk and control framework, with preventive/detective controls.
• Remediate control deficiencies and compliance gaps, and address payroll errors.
• Define and execute NA payroll transformation roadmap (standardization, automation, tech).
• Report performance, risks, dependencies, and remediation progress to leadership.
• Represent NA on global transformation, vendor transitions, and policy initiatives.
• Monitor payroll tax, regulatory changes and implement required updates.
• Manage third-party payroll and tax providers against contracts and SLAs.
• Drive tech requirements and lead payroll testing, implementation, and stabilization.

Skills

Payroll leadership

US/Canada payroll

Process redesign

Automation

Governance & controls

Stakeholder management

Workday experience

Vendor governance

Cross-functional collaboration

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Job description

The Head of North America Payroll, Vice President (VP), will be part of the Global Payroll and Time & Attendance leadership team and contribute to the strategic and tactical direction of the organization. The role leads end-to-end payroll delivery for the United States and Canada in collaboration with global HR process owners, HR Centers of Excellence, Finance, Tax, Legal, Technology, Risk, and third-party providers.

The position is accountable for accurate, timely, and compliant payroll; a strong and sustainable control environment; and transformation of the North America payroll function through process redesign, standardization, automation, technology, and operating-model improvement. The role will lead a service-oriented team, strengthen governance and audit readiness, and build trusted relationships across the region and globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of people management with a focus on fostering an environment where employees are engaged to do their best work.
• Oversee end-to-end payroll delivery for the United States and Canada, including payroll results, reconciliations, funding, employee payments, tax and statutory obligations, year-end activities, and complex exceptions.
• Design, implement, document, and sustain a strong payroll risk and control framework, including preventive and detective controls, segregation of duties, approvals, access governance, reconciliations, exception reporting, evidence retention, and periodic control-effectiveness reviews.
• Lead remediation of control deficiencies, audit findings, compliance gaps, payroll errors, and recurring process failures; identify root causes, establish corrective actions, and elevate material risks promptly.
• Define and execute the North America payroll transformation roadmap, including operating-model redesign, process simplification, standardization, automation, technology enablement, data-quality improvement, and reduction of manual work and key-person dependencies.
• Establish measurable service, accuracy, compliance, control, productivity, and transformation outcomes; regularly report performance, risks, dependencies, and remediation progress to leadership and stakeholders.
• Represent North America on global transformation, governance, merger and acquisition, vendor-transition, system-implementation, and policy initiatives.
• Monitor US and Canadian payroll, tax, employment, and regulatory developments and ensure required operational, system, control, and communication changes are implemented timely.
• Manage third-party payroll and tax providers against contractual obligations, service levels, control expectations, issue-resolution commitments, and transformation objectives.
• Drive technology requirements and lead payroll testing, implementation, integration, and stabilization activities in partnership with HR Technology and other stakeholders.
• Maintain clear process ownership, standard operating procedures, control narratives, payroll calendars, business-continuity plans, cross-training, and governance forums.
• Provide leadership to resolve complex payroll issues and build strong partnerships with HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, Technology, Risk, Internal Audit, employees, and third-party providers.

Qualifications And Skills Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with 10-15 years of relevant payroll experience, including significant leadership responsibility for complex United States and Canadian payroll operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and build high-performing teams and cultures within the region and across a global organization.
• Proven experience designing, implementing, and managing a highly effective payroll risk and control environment, including audit support and sustainable remediation.
• Demonstrated success transforming payroll operations through process redesign, standardization, automation, technology implementation, vendor change, or operating-model improvement.
• Strong knowledge of US and Canadian payroll operations, payroll tax, statutory reporting, year-end requirements, employee payments, reconciliations, and vendor governance.
• Experience leading complex projects and change initiatives while maintaining payroll continuity, compliance, and stakeholder alignment.
• Accountable for the quality, accuracy, timeliness, and control of results, with the judgment and urgency required to manage complex issues.
• Strong leadership, analytical, organizational, communication, change-management, time-management, and prioritization skills.
• Track record of building effective relationships with senior leaders, internal stakeholders, control partners, and third-party providers; Workday experience preferred.

Salary Range

$110,000 - $188,750 Annual

Employees are eligible to participate in State Street's comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.

For a full overview, visit https://hrportal.ehr.com/statestreet/Home.

About State Street

Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.

We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.

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