Payroll Operations Manager

USTBC ABB Installation Products Inc.; Cary (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

ABB in the United States is seeking a Payroll Operations Manager to lead end-to-end payroll for approximately 18,000 US and Puerto Rico employees, including union and non-union populations, using Workday Payroll and integrated timekeeping, benefits, tax, finance, and third-party providers.

This role provides strategic and operational leadership across payroll production, compliance, controls, employee experience, vendor governance, system optimization, data integrity, and cross-functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent
• Five years of payroll and timekeeping experience
• Two years of team leadership experience or more
• Experience with Workday Payroll operations and post-production support
• Strong understanding of multi-state and multi-company payroll
• Hands-on experience with payroll integrations and third-party providers
• Excellent analytical, communication, and leadership skills

Responsibilities

• Strategy & Planning: Align payroll services with laws and ABB directives; set strategic direction for US/PR Payroll Services.
• Operational Services: Manage payroll operations, ensure accurate processing of salaries, time entries, benefits, taxes, and garnishments.
• Customer Experience: Deliver timely, accurate payroll information and respond to inquiries.
• People Management: Lead and develop payroll team members; allocate resources.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive automation, self-service, and workflow improvements; collaborate with HRIS/IS.

Skills

Payroll management

Workday Payroll

Team leadership

Regulatory compliance

Data analytics

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Microsoft Office

Timekeeping systems

Job description

At ABB , we help industries run leaner and cleaner-and every person here makes that happen. You'll be empowered to lead, supported to grow, and proud of the impact we create together. Join us and help run what runs the world.

This position reports to:

Head of Payroll, US/PR

Your role and responsibilities:

The US Front Office - Payroll Operations Manager manages a team responsible for end-to-end payroll delivery for approximately 18,000 US and Puerto Rico employees, including union and non-union populations, using Workday Payroll and integrated timekeeping, benefits, tax, finance, and third-party provider solutions.

This role provides strategic and operational leadership across payroll production, compliance, controls, employee experience, vendor governance, system optimization, data integrity, and cross-functional transformation initiatives. The position partners with vendors, payroll functions, HR, IS, Finance, Legal, Tax, Benefits, and business stakeholders to share best practices, deliver projects, capture lessons learned, and support scalable payroll operations.

Additionally, this role will establish priorities, coordinate activities, drive process improvement, advance automation and analytics, support post-production operations, and contribute to the evaluation and redesign of processes and technical solutions.

The work model for the role is onsite in Cary, NC. #LI-Onsite

You will be mainly accountable for:

• Strategy & Planning : Ensures US/PR payroll services are delivered in accordance with ABB policy directives and applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Proposes and implements the strategic direction of the US/PR Payroll Services organization. Champions ABB core values and LEAN initiatives.
• Operational Services : Provides subject matter expertise related to payroll operations. Researches and interprets federal and state regulatory requirements to resolve issues for payroll processing.- Implements, maintains, and reviews payroll processing systems to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll transactions, including salaries, time entries, benefits, garnishments, taxes, fringe benefits, imputed income, and other deductions. Contributes expertise to local and global projects with responsibility for assigned KPIs and deliverables. Implements streamlined practices and processes across areas of responsibility to reduce cost, strengthen internal controls, improve efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Customer Experience : Ensures team members deliver excellent customer service by providing accurate payroll information and responding to employee inquiries timely and professionally. Builds strong relationships with Human Resources and other cross-functional stakeholders to understand customer needs and deliver exceptional service. Provides feedback, training, and guidance to customer-facing teams to support accurate and consistent responses to payroll-related inquiries. Promotes employee awareness and adoption of self-service capabilities whenever appropriate.
• People Management : Manages a team that supports ABB's US/PR payroll service delivery model. Recruits, develops, and retains talented team members. Assists with resource allocation and resolution of resource conflicts. Coaches and guides team members on complex queries to help develop their process knowledge.
• Continuous Improvement : Designs, recommends, and implements processes that improve payroll controls, efficiency, and quality. Promotes a continuous improvement mindset by encouraging team members to challenge manual, repetitive, or inefficient processes. Identifies automation, self-service, case management, and workflow opportunities to reduce manual intervention, improve first-time accuracy, and strengthen end-to-end payroll controls. Partners with HRIS/IS to evaluate Workday Payroll releases, enhancement requests, integrations, and security impacts while supporting change management and user adoption.

Qualifications for the role:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with five years of payroll and timekeeping experience, including at least two years of team leadership experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with Workday Payroll operations, including post-production support.
• Strong understanding of payroll integrations with timekeeping, benefits, tax, banking, garnishment, general ledger, accounting, and third-party payroll service providers
• Experience in a front-office environment and with SaaS systems.
• Knowledge of HR and payroll practices, laws, policies, and procedures.
• Hands-on experience with multi-state and multi-company payroll.
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, adapt to changing priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and time management skills.
• Professional demeanor and strong