Global Payroll Lead

Global Payroll Lead

The Global Payroll Lead owns the day-to-day execution of IEEE's global payroll operation, including the bi-weekly multi-state domestic payroll and monthly international payrolls across six countries, covering approximately 1,300 employees. The role operates with a high degree of independence within established policy, and serves as the senior working authority on payroll processing, retirement plan administration, timekeeping, and leaves of absence. This individual will provide day-to-day work direction, review, and training to the Global Payroll Specialist, and is responsible for the department's process documentation.

You will serve as the primary backup to the Senior Global Payroll Manager for payroll continuity, performing processing and preparation activities while approval authority remains with the Senior Global Payroll Manager. Additionally, this role administers IEEE's retirement and savings programs, including 401(k) and Defined Contribution Retirement Plan contributions, reconciliations, and recordkeeper coordination, and prepares responses to routine regulatory agency correspondence.

The position requires extreme confidentiality, precise accuracy, and sound judgment, as errors carry regulatory, financial, and employee impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Processes the bi-weekly multi-state domestic payroll with minimal supervision, maintaining extreme confidentiality, high attention to detail, and precise accuracy while adhering to all payroll policies, procedures, and government regulations.
• Processes monthly international payrolls for all six countries (China, Singapore, India, Japan, Austria, and Germany), engaging directly with international payroll providers on processing and reporting matters and confirming compliance with country requirements.
• Ensures payments, tax withholding, and deductions are processed accurately, including retroactive adjustments, bonuses, commissions, severance, vacation payouts, employee referrals, and shift differential.
• Administers garnishments, tax levies, child support orders, and other legally mandated withholding orders in accordance with jurisdictional requirements and response deadlines.
• Prepares international wire transfers with currency conversion for dual approval by the Senior Global Payroll Manager and the Controller.
• Runs the year-end payroll processing cycle, including W-2 preparation activities, year-end adjustments, and reconciliation of year-end data, under the direction of the Senior Global Payroll Manager.
• Researches and resolves uncashed payroll checks, validating outstanding items and coordinating unclaimed property compliance.
• Prepares off-cycle and manual payments for review and approval by the Senior Global Payroll Manager.
• Reviews and validates bi-weekly benefit deductions and 401(k) and Defined Contribution Retirement Plan contribution funding executed by the Global Payroll Specialist, ensuring funding within required deadlines.
• Reconciles and adjusts quarterly reports with the retirement plan recordkeeper, and reconciles forfeiture and suspense accounts for the 401(k) and DCR Plans, providing supporting information to Accounting.
• Prepares retirement plan projection tables for senior management and highly compensated employees.
• Administers payroll matters and inquiries related to the 401(k) and Defined Contribution Retirement Plans, escalating compliance questions and plan interpretation matters to the Senior Global Payroll Manager.
• Owns day-to-day administration of the time and attendance system, including pay rule application, timecard issue resolution, and the integrity of time data feeding payroll.
• Serves as the primary liaison between Payroll and Benefits for all employee leaves of absence, including payroll and accrual calculations, pay continuation, and compliance for all leave types.
• Prepares and submits responses to routine payroll-related regulatory agency notices and inquiries; escalates contested, complex, and audit-related matters to the Senior Global Payroll Manager, who serves as the organization's responding authority.
• Serves as the primary working lead on internal and external payroll audits, compiling requested data, preparing schedules, and coordinating responses under the direction of the Senior Global Payroll Manager.
• Maintains all employee payroll files and reports in accordance with federal regulations and preserves them in an audit-ready format.
• Identifies processing errors, discrepancies, and control weaknesses, and escalates them promptly with supporting analysis.
• Owns the department's payroll process documentation, including creating and maintaining written procedures for all recurring payroll, retirement plan, timekeeping, and leave processes, and updating documentation when systems or requirements change.
• Provides day-to-day work direction, review, and prioritization to the Global Payroll Specialist, without formal supervisory authority.
• Trains new and existing payroll staff, and develops cross-training and backup…