Senior Payroll Leader, Multi-State & Systems

Komatsu North America; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Komatsu North America is seeking a Senior Manager, Payroll to lead the payroll team across a large, multi-state workforce. You will oversee accuracy, compliance, and process excellence, shaping tax compliance and audit readiness while driving scalable payroll solutions.

This role partners with HR, Finance, Legal, and external providers to strengthen controls and align with business needs. You will manage payroll system implementations, upgrades, and analytics, handling complex transactions,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership and team management.
• Experience managing payroll operations for a large, multi-state organization.
• Expert knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll laws, tax compliance, and reporting requirements.
• CPP designation strongly preferred.

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.
• Oversee the accurate administration of complex payroll transactions, including bonuses, commissions, equity payments, retroactive pay, garnishments, and leave programs.
• Monitor changes in payroll legislation and implement compliant policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Develop payroll metrics, reporting, and executive dashboards that provide actionable business insights.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll issues and lead special HR and payroll projects as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Multi-state payroll

UKG Pro

Payroll compliance

CPP designation

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Auditing

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

UKG Pro

HRIS

Payroll systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Komatsu North America is seeking a Senior Manager, Payroll to lead the payroll team across a large, multi-state workforce. You will oversee accuracy, compliance, and process excellence, shaping tax compliance and audit readiness while driving scalable payroll solutions.

This role partners with HR, Finance, Legal, and external providers to strengthen controls and align with business needs. You will manage payroll system implementations, upgrades, and analytics, handling complex transactions,