Payroll Manager

Carolina PRG is conducting a search for an experienced Payroll Manager to join a large, complex organization in the Charlotte market.

This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for an experienced payroll professional who can lead high-volume payroll function while strengthening processes, systems, and overall operational effectiveness.

• Lead and develop a distributed payroll team supporting employees across multiple locations
• Oversee high-volume payroll processing across multiple pay cycles and jurisdictions
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local requirements
• Strengthen payroll controls, audits, reconciliations, and year-end processes to improve accuracy and reduce risk
• Identify the root causes of recurring payroll issues and implement preventative solutions
• Drive continuous improvement across payroll processes with a focus on automation, efficiency, accuracy, and scalability
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers and ensure accountability around service, configuration, issue resolution, and performance
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Total Rewards, Benefits, and other key stakeholders to resolve issues and improve upstream processes impacting payroll
• Lead and support payroll system implementations, integrations, upgrades, testing, and other payroll-related change initiatives
• Manage day-to-day payroll operations while balancing multiple projects and process improvement initiatives
• Establish meaningful metrics and KPIs to measure payroll accuracy, service levels, team performance, and operational effectiveness
• Provide proactive communication to leadership and key stakeholders around payroll issues, risks, and process improvements
• Develop team members while creating greater structure, accountability, consistency, and clear ownership across the payroll function

• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience
• 3+ years of payroll leadership and people management experience
• Experience leading payroll within a large, complex, multi-state and/or multi-country environment
• Strong knowledge of payroll processing, compliance, controls, reconciliations, audits, tax requirements, and year-end activities
• Proven ability to identify payroll process gaps, determine root causes, and implement sustainable solutions
• Experience working with payroll systems and third‑party payroll providers
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, integrations, upgrades, or other significant payroll transformation initiatives
• Strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to lead initiatives from planning through implementation