Senior Manager Payroll

The Senior Manager, Payroll provides strategic and operational leadership for Jet Blue’s end-to-end payroll operations function, ensuring accurate and timely pay, a strong and sustainable control environment, regulatory compliance, and effective governance of internal and outsourced payroll operations. The role is accountable for payroll service delivery, controls, managed service business partner performance, issue management, process transformation and the successful implementation of business and technology changes impacting payroll.

This crucial role demands outstanding collaboration and communication skills and a commitment to delivering excellent customer service to internal customers.

• Drive operational excellence in payroll execution ensuring the timely processing of weekly and semi-monthly payrolls for over 20,000 employees, guaranteeing accuracy and addressing any issues promptly
• Provide governance and oversight of an outsourced payroll service provider, establishing and monitoring SLAs, KPIs, quality standards, controls and escalation protocols.
• Partner proactively with People, Benefits, Labor Relations, Finance, Tax, IT and operational teams to assess payroll impacts associated with new programs, collective bargaining agreements, incentive programs, policy changes and other business initiatives.
• Lead the payroll transformation and continuous-improvement roadmap, identifying opportunities for automation, standardization, simplification and improved controls.
• Lead, develop and engage a high-performing payroll team, across multiple locations, establishing clear expectations and accountability while fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Lead the resolution of significant payroll incidents, including over payments, underpayments, missed payments, system failures and processing errors; ensure root causes are identified and sustainable corrective actions are implemented.
• Establish and maintain a robust payroll risk and control framework, including payroll validation, exception monitoring, reconciliations and ensuring compliance with SOX requirements.
• Establish governance for business and system changes impacting payroll, ensuring appropriate requirements, testing, controls, approvals, implementation readiness and post-production validation.
• Manage relationships with third-party international payroll providers
• Ensure correct taxation of payroll and timely filings with appropriate government authorities
• Manage a high degree of change in a fast paced, complex and demanding environment
• Take a significant role in the development of crew members to support their engagement, growth, and goal achievement
• Ad hoc projects, reporting and analysis as requested
• Other duties as assigned

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field; OR demonstrated capability to perform job responsibilities with a combination of a High School Diploma/GED and at least four (4) years of previous relevant work experience
• Six (6) years of progressive payroll experience, with five (5) years of management experience
• Strong knowledge of payroll complexities, statutory requirements and best practices
• Current knowledge of US federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and regulations
• Proven track record of successful payroll related system implementations, upgrades and/or integrations
• Exceptional analytical capabilities, with a keen eye for detail, coupled with strong problem solving and project management skills
• Ability to thrive and deliver results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite
• Excellent verbal and written…