Serve as the Tier III escalation lead for payroll and benefits inquiries that require advanced expertise or judgment.
Provide mentorship, guidance, and functional leadership to the payroll and benefits team.
Partner with AskHR, HRBPs, Regional HR, and Finance to ensure employees receive timely, accurate, and supportive payroll and benefits assistance.
Support employees through complex payroll and benefits situations, including international hires, leave pay, garnishments, and corrections.
Oversee compliance with wage & hour laws, benefits eligibility rules, tax withholding requirements, and reporting standards.
Implement and maintain standard operating procedures, controls, and documentation to ensure consistency across payroll and benefits workflows.
Coordinate and oversee quarterly and annual payroll filings, including W2s and 1095Cs.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives for payroll and benefits, identifying automation opportunities and reducing manual work.
Collaborate with IT and HRIS to advance Dayforce functionality, including configuration enhancements, integrations, and global modules.
Support implementation of new payroll structures for acquisitions globally.
Manage vendor relationships at an advanced level, including benefits carriers, brokers, payroll providers, and international partners.
Oversee complex payroll audits, benefits compliance reviews, and regulatory responses.
Ensure Woolpert’s payroll and benefits programs meet high standards of accuracy, compliance, and competitiveness.
Establish and track KPIs for accuracy, service delivery, processing speed, and compliance targets.
Oversee reconciliations, complex pay adjustments, leave pay calculations, and escalated discrepancies.
Provide balanced recommendations that consider legal compliance, operational efficiency, and employee experience.
Apply strong judgment when addressing sensitive pay or benefits matters, ensuring confidentiality and equitable solutions.
Support organizational growth while maintaining healthy workload distribution, clear prioritization, and sustainable processes.
Lead and develop a small team and/or cross functional workstreams.
Support M&A integration for payroll/benefits, including transitioning acquired firms onto standard calendars, plans, and systems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or related field required.
12 years of experience in payroll processing and benefits administration required.
Experience may substitute for education at a 1:1 ratio. In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree, an additional 4 years of relevant experience is required.
FPC/CPP (APA), CEBS, SPHR, GPHR (or regional equivalent) preferred, but not required.
Experience with Ceridian/Dayforce or similar HCM/payroll systems.
Analytical rigor, vendor management, process design, data integrity, service orientation, and stakeholder communication.
High integrity and ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.
Proficiency with Dayforce (or comparable HCM/payroll), Excel, and vendor portals.
Knowledge of multi-state payroll laws, tax regulations, and benefits compliance.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to resolve escalated payroll or benefits issues.
Excellent communication, customer service, and cross-functional partnering skills.
Ability to manage deadlines across multiple time zones.
Global experience coordinating payroll/benefits across at least 3 countries (e.g., EMEA or APAC) with in country providers preferred.
Experience leading OE implementations, system upgrades, or multi country payroll launches in Dayforce preferred.

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

payroll processingbenefits administrationdata integrityprocess designanalytical skillsvendor managementmulti-state payroll lawstax regulationscompliance reviewspay adjustments

Soft Skills

mentorshipleadershipcommunicationcustomer serviceproblem-solvingjudgmentdiscretionorganizational skillsprioritizationstakeholder communication

Certifications

FPCCPPCEBSSPHRGPHR