Payroll Manager

Ace Hardware; Oak Brook (IL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Health insurance

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Employee discounts

Tuition assistance

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Ace Hardware Corporation seeks a Payroll Manager to lead in-house payroll operations in Workday across weekly, biweekly and semi-monthly cycles for multiple entities. You will set governance, ensure accurate tax filings and drive automation while managing a nine-person payroll team.

You will partner with Finance, HR and executives to ensure audit readiness, data privacy and alignment with enterprise objectives, shaping a scalable payroll function.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience, including 5+ years at the manager or director level in high-volume, multi-state and multi-entity environments.
• Demonstrated leadership of in-house Workday payroll, including configuration governance, change management and testing strategy.
• Deep knowledge of payroll operations, financial controls, payroll taxation and regulatory compliance.
• Strong analytical, communication and judgment skills, with the ability to translate complex requirements into practical business solutions.
• Proven success leading teams, managing change and improving processes through technology and automation.
• Strong commitment to audit readiness, internal controls, record retention and data privacy.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end in-house payroll operations in Workday across weekly, biweekly and semi-monthly cycles and multiple legal entities.
• Set payroll governance, processing and systems strategy in alignment with enterprise financial, compliance and technology objectives.
• Monitor and implement federal, state and local payroll, tax, wage-and-hour and calculation requirements.
• Own payroll tax filings, reconciliations and agency issue resolution across federal, state and local jurisdictions.
• Direct integrations among Workday payroll, retirement platforms and financial systems; identify automation, AI and process improvements that enhance accuracy, efficiency and the employee experience.
• Lead the effort from a payroll perspective to integrate new business and new acquisitions.
• Develop a high-performing team of 9 through clear priorities, coaching, performance management and succession planning.
• Support the Ace sponsored benefit plans from a payroll perspective including, participant deferral calculations, coordination of communications, compliance, audits, inquiries and coordination with plan partners.

Skills

Workday payroll

Payroll leadership

Multi-state payroll

Payroll tax compliance

Financial controls

Data privacy

Audits readiness

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Workday

Job description

The Payroll Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for enterprise payroll. This leader ensures accurate, timely and compliant payroll delivery while maintaining strong oversight of plan administration, governance, vendor performance, financial integrity and audit readiness.

What You’ll Do

• Own end-to-end in-house payroll operations in Workday across weekly, biweekly and semi-monthly cycles and multiple legal entities.
• Set payroll governance, processing and systems strategy in alignment with enterprise financial, compliance and technology objectives.
• Monitor and implement federal, state and local payroll, tax, wage-and-hour and calculation requirements.
• Own payroll tax filings, reconciliations and agency issue resolution across federal, state and local jurisdictions.
• Direct integrations among Workday payroll, retirement platforms and financial systems; identify automation, AI and process improvements that enhance accuracy, efficiency and the employee experience.
• Lead the effort from a payroll perspective to integrate new business and new acquisitions.
• Develop a high-performing team of 9 through clear priorities, coaching, performance management and succession planning.
• Support the Ace sponsored benefit plans from a payroll perspective including, participant deferral calculations, coordination of communications, compliance, audits, inquiries and coordination with plan partners.

Who You Are

The ideal candidate will have a passion for excellence, and ability to lead their team in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will also have the ability to communicate effectively and work seamlessly with the executive team, Human Resources and other business partners within the organization.

Role Impact

• Approximately $800 million in annual payroll processing.
• Approximately $176 million in payroll taxes withheld and remitted.
• Approximately 38,000 employees processed annually, with approximately 13,800 active employees.

Required Skills

• 10+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience, including 5+ years at the manager or director level in high-volume, multi-state and multi-entity environments.
• Demonstrated leadership of in-house Workday payroll, including configuration governance, change management and testing strategy.
• Deep knowledge of payroll operations, financial controls, payroll taxation and regulatory compliance.
• Strong analytical, communication and judgment skills, with the ability to translate complex requirements into practical business solutions.
• Proven success leading teams, managing change and improving processes through technology and automation.
• Strong commitment to audit readiness, internal controls, record retention and data privacy.

Preferred Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Compensation Details

$120200 - $149950 per year

Why should you join our team?

We live our values - W.E.L.I.G.H.T (Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility, and Teamwork). Gratitude. Humility. Love. You don’t often see values like these in most corporate statements, but Ace is different. These things are important to us. They represent our commitment to the company, our employees, to Ace retailers and to the Ace brand.

In addition to providing our employees a great culture, Ace also offers competitive benefits* that address life’s necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after year, including:

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (company growth over the past 5 years resulted in incentives being paid out at an average of 122% of your target opportunity!)
• Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested matching contribution the first year in addition to quarterly contributions and annual discretionary contribution (once eligibility requirements have been met). Over the past 5 years, company contributions (matching, quarterly & discretionary) for fully eligible employees have averaged 10% of total eligible compensation
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision and disability – up to 26 weeks short-term disability and long-term disability) & life insurance benefits for you and your dependents
• 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the first year) and up to 6 paid holidays depending on the month of hire
• Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based positions
• Your career at Ace is more than just a job. It’s a chance to be part of something meaningful. We help locally-owned businesses thrive and make an impact in their communities – and we support our employees in doing the same by offering an annual Ace Cares Week, 20 hours off work per year to volunteer at an organization of your choice, opportunities to help Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation
• Ace invests in every employee we hire, with a key focus on development and coaching. We offer on-site classes, facilitator‑led courses, and a generous tuition assistance program, plus a performance management approach that goes beyond the typical annual review
• We know the work environment matters. That’s why Ace holds frequent campus events like Employee Appreciation Week, vendor demos, cookouts, and merchandise sales
• We bring them to you! Services such as mobile spas, auto maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye doctors, flu shots, recycling and more!
• Employee discounts on Ace merchandise (including top brands like Weber, Traeger, Yeti, Craftsman, DeWalt and more), travel, fitness, computers and thousands more

• Birth/Adoption bonding paid time off
• Adoption cost reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to free visits to therapists and lawyers, guidance on financial matters, elder and childcare, and assistance with tickets to entertainment events
• Identity theft protection

Benefits are provided in compliance with applicable policies.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ace Hardware Corporation is committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military or veteran status, sexual orientation or any other action covered by federal or applicable state/local laws.