Payroll Manager

MGIC Investment Corporation; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 88,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

401k with company match

HSA

Wellness program

Job summary

MGIC Investment Corporation in Milwaukee, WI seeks a Payroll Manager to lead payroll administration and HR Shared Services, ensuring accurate, timely payroll and a high‑quality coworker experience across the employee lifecycle.

The role partners with HR, Finance, Legal and Internal Audit to strengthen operational efficiency, data integrity and regulatory compliance while standardising workflows and driving continuous improvement across HR transactions. Experience with Workday is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in HR Operations, Payroll and/or HR Compliance.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local HR and payroll regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the HR Shared Services team delivering consistent, timely, high‑quality support for coworkers and alumni.
• Oversee end‑to‑end payroll administration and ensure accurate payroll processing.
• Safeguard payroll data integrity and ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, Legal, Internal Audit and external vendors to strengthen service delivery and control environments.

Skills

HR Operations

Payroll

HR Compliance

Workday

Communication

Tools

Workday

Job description

At MGIC, we take pride in knowing that what we do matters. As pioneers of private mortgage insurance, we help people achieve homeownership sooner - making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality. Our efforts have helped more than 14 million people get the keys to their own homes sooner than otherwise possible. Every position is critical to our company's success - from the analytical to the technical; from the innovative to the operational. The customer-facing roles to behind-the-scenes experts, we're all part of one team. We're an organization with a national footprint that's large enough to never lack for a new challenge, but small enough for an opportunity to make an impact and influence decisions. Come make a difference at MGIC.

MGIC is seeking a Payroll Manager to lead and strengthen the delivery of payroll administration and HR Shared Services, ensuring a consistent, accurate and high-quality co‑worker experience. This role is ideal for a hands‑on operational leader who thrives on building reliable processes, supporting teams, and delivering payroll excellence. The Payroll Manager oversees day‑to‑day execution while advancing process standardisation, compliance, and continuous improvement across HR transactions. This position serves as a key leader within the HR Operations function, ensuring timely and accurate payroll processes, compliance with federal, state and local laws, effective case management, and responsive coworker support across the employee lifecycle.

In this highly collaborative role, the Payroll Manager partners closely with HR team members, Finance, Legal, Internal Audit and external vendors to strengthen operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, data integrity and the delivery of HR Services that exceed co‑worker needs and enable business success.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following statements describe the general nature of work performed by people assigned to this job, may not be performed by all individuals in this job, and are not a complete list of all job duties required.

Management/Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of direct reports into a highly effective group by setting clear performance expectations and goals, providing regular and honest feedback, and supporting individual development plans.
• Guide team workload and workflow by distributing work effectively, providing timely direction, and helping team members understand the impact of their contributions.
• Build team resilience and scalability by promoting knowledge sharing, clear documentation, and meaningful cross‑training.
• Partner closely with HR Partners, Finance, Legal, Internal Audit, IS, and other stakeholders to support business priorities and co‑worker needs.
• Champion standardisation, automation, and simplification of HR Shared Service and Payroll processes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Analyze recurring issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective and preventive solutions that support department outcomes.
• Lead the team through change within the department and across the organization to help deliver results aligned with MGIC's business priorities.
• Contribute to and lead HR workflow enhancements, shared service work intake, and process improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities specific to this role:

HR Shared Services

• Lead the HR Shared Service team in delivering consistent, timely, and high‑quality support for co‑workers and alumni, including core HR processes and employee lifecycle transactions.
• Shape and strengthen the service experience by establishing, monitoring, and improving service delivery standards, service level agreements, and key performance indicators; develop standards, best practices, and documentation that support consistent execution.
• Serve as a trusted escalation point for complex or sensitive situations, ensuring issues are resolved accurately and managed appropriately.

Payroll Administration and Governance

• Oversee end‑to‑end payroll administration by leading the team in delivering accurate and timely payroll processing.
• Safeguard the accuracy and integrity of HR and payroll data in Workday by ensuring internal checks and balances are completed.
• Help protect compliant payroll operations by ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Support internal and external audits by providing documentation, responding to findings, and implementing remediation plans; serve as the liaison between HR and the Internal Audit team.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of experience in HR Operations, Payroll and/or HR Compliance.
• Strong critical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local HR and payroll regulations.
• Understanding of payroll tax compliance and reporting requirements.
• Experience with payroll and workforce management systems, such as Workday.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while staying organized and responsive.
• Clear, professional, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Project management experience that supports process improvement.

Pay Range:

$87,990.00 - $149,590.00

This range aligns with current market data and reflects our commitment to competitive and equitable compensation. Salary offers are based on factors such as experience, skills, education, and training. The range may vary in certain locations to reflect local market conditions. It is not typical to initiate pay at the top of the range to account for internal equity and allow for future and continued salary growth

Enjoy these benefits from day one:

• Competitive Salary & pay-for-performance bonus
• Financial Benefits (401k with company match, profit sharing, HSA, wellness program)
• On‑site Fitness Center and classes (corporate office)
• Paid-time off and paid company holidays
• Business casual dress