Payroll Manager

CAROLINA PRG; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Carolina PRG in Charlotte is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead a large, complex payroll operation. This is a visible leadership role responsible for high-volume processing, process improvement, and ensuring accurate and compliant payroll across locations.

You will manage a distributed team, partner with HR and Finance, drive automation and system enhancements, implement controls, and deliver timely, auditable payroll outcomes for multi-state operations.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience
• 3+ years of payroll leadership and people management experience
• Experience leading payroll within a large, complex, multi-state and/or multi-country environment
• Strong knowledge of payroll processing, compliance, controls, reconciliations, audits, tax requirements, and year-end activities
• Proven ability to identify payroll process gaps, determine root causes, and implement sustainable solutions
• Experience working with payroll systems and third‑party payroll providers
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, integrations, upgrades, or other significant payroll transformation initiatives
• Strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to lead initiatives from planning through implementation

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a distributed payroll team supporting employees across multiple locations
• Oversee high-volume payroll processing across multiple pay cycles and jurisdictions
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local requirements
• Strengthen payroll controls, audits, reconciliations, and year-end processes to improve accuracy and reduce risk
• Identify the root causes of recurring payroll issues and implement preventative solutions
• Drive continuous improvement across payroll processes with a focus on automation, efficiency, accuracy, and scalability
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers and ensure accountability around service, configuration, issue resolution, and performance
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Total Rewards, Benefits, and other key stakeholders to resolve issues and improve upstream processes impacting payroll
• Lead and support payroll system implementations, integrations, upgrades, testing, and other payroll-related change initiatives
• Manage day-to-day payroll operations while balancing multiple projects and process improvement initiatives
• Establish meaningful metrics and KPIs to measure payroll accuracy, service levels, team performance, and operational effectiveness
• Provide proactive communication to leadership and key stakeholders around payroll issues, risks, and process improvements
• Develop team members while creating greater structure, accountability, consistency, and clear ownership across the payroll function

Skills

Payroll management

People leadership

Payroll systems

Compliance

Process improvement

Project management

Data analysis

Job description

Carolina PRG is conducting a search for an experienced Payroll Manager to join a large, complex organization in the Charlotte market.

This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for an experienced payroll professional who can lead high-volume payroll function while strengthening processes, systems, and overall operational effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a distributed payroll team supporting employees across multiple locations
• Oversee high-volume payroll processing across multiple pay cycles and jurisdictions
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local requirements
• Strengthen payroll controls, audits, reconciliations, and year-end processes to improve accuracy and reduce risk
• Identify the root causes of recurring payroll issues and implement preventative solutions
• Drive continuous improvement across payroll processes with a focus on automation, efficiency, accuracy, and scalability
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers and ensure accountability around service, configuration, issue resolution, and performance
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Total Rewards, Benefits, and other key stakeholders to resolve issues and improve upstream processes impacting payroll
• Lead and support payroll system implementations, integrations, upgrades, testing, and other payroll-related change initiatives
• Manage day-to-day payroll operations while balancing multiple projects and process improvement initiatives
• Establish meaningful metrics and KPIs to measure payroll accuracy, service levels, team performance, and operational effectiveness
• Provide proactive communication to leadership and key stakeholders around payroll issues, risks, and process improvements
• Develop team members while creating greater structure, accountability, consistency, and clear ownership across the payroll function

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience
• 3+ years of payroll leadership and people management experience
• Experience leading payroll within a large, complex, multi-state and/or multi-country environment
• Strong knowledge of payroll processing, compliance, controls, reconciliations, audits, tax requirements, and year-end activities
• Proven ability to identify payroll process gaps, determine root causes, and implement sustainable solutions
• Experience working with payroll systems and third‑party payroll providers
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, integrations, upgrades, or other significant payroll transformation initiatives
• Strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to lead initiatives from planning through implementation