Senior Payroll Leader — Multi-State Operations & Innovation

Komatsu; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 123,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k

Time off

Employee assistance programs

Disability benefits

Life insurance

Learning and development

Job summary

Komatsu is seeking a Senior Manager, Payroll to lead the payroll team across a large multi-state workforce, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and scalable processes.

You will drive payroll system implementations, tax compliance initiatives, and policy governance while partnering with HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, and external providers to optimize operations. This role requires strong leadership and a focus on continuous improvement within a global manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership and team management responsibilities.
• Experience managing payroll operations for a large, multi-state organization.
• Expertise with UKG Pro (UltiPro) or comparable enterprise payroll platform; payroll system implementation experience is strongly preferred.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation is strongly preferred.
• Expert knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll laws, tax compliance, and reporting requirements.
• Strong leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills with a track record of driving continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across the organization.
• Ability to manage confidential information with professionalism and integrity.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and implementing scalable payroll processes.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the payroll team responsible for timely and accurate multi-state payroll processing.
• Develop and execute payroll strategies that improve efficiency, automate processes, and support business growth.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations while maintaining strong internal controls and audit readiness.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, and business leaders to align payroll operations with organizational priorities.
• Manage relationships with third-party payroll providers, tax agencies, and system vendors to ensure exceptional service and compliance.
• Lead payroll system implementations, upgrades, integrations, and process improvement initiatives across payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, and financial systems.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Communication

Multi-state payroll

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

UKG Pro (UltiPro)

Job description

Komatsu is seeking a Senior Manager, Payroll to lead the payroll team across a large multi-state workforce, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and scalable processes.

You will drive payroll system implementations, tax compliance initiatives, and policy governance while partnering with HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, and external providers to optimize operations. This role requires strong leadership and a focus on continuous improvement within a global manufacturing environment.