International Payroll Lead

Overview

An organization is seeking an International Payroll Lead based in the US to take full ownership of payroll design, execution, and compliance across its US client payroll population and beyond. This role is ideal for a qualified multi-state payroll specialist with approximately 6 years of experience who is comfortable managing payroll in a complex environment involving multiple US states and local jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

US Payroll Operations Ownership

• Manage end-to-end payroll operations for US employees and client payroll populations
• Validate payroll inputs, outputs, calculations, statutory deductions, tax withholdings, and payments
• Perform and review manual payroll calculations as needed
• Oversee payroll calendar, approvals, and processing timelines to ensure accurate and timely delivery
• Ensure compliance with IRS and all relevant federal, state, and local payroll obligations
• Handle payroll processing across multiple states with varying tax and statutory requirements
• Support enhancement of payroll workflows within the existing in-house payroll environment

Compliance, Filings & Controls

• Manage and review manual federal, state, and local payroll tax filings and remittances
• Maintain payroll compliance tracker and statutory filing calendar for all active US states
• Develop and implement payroll controls covering input validation, processing review, reconciliation, filing, and sign-off
• Introduce practical and audit-ready control evidence into the US payroll cycle
• Identify and escalate payroll compliance issues, filing gaps, tax issues, underpayments, or overpayments promptly
• Support W-2 and year-end reporting obligations across all relevant jurisdictions
• Ensure compliance with FUTA, SUTA, FICA, and other federal and state statutory obligations
• Support tax set-up reviews and payroll tax governance using tools such as MasterTax and Symmetry where applicable

Remediation & Stabilisation

• Review and correct historic payroll set-up issues in collaboration with internal stakeholders and external advisors
• Validate statutory deductions, year-end reporting, and historical payroll records
• Lead payroll reconciliations, variance analysis, and corrective actions as required
• Document manual workarounds, operational risks, and recommend improvements
• Support audit, due diligence, and internal control documentation requests
• Review in-house payroll system logic and recommend corrective actions or interim workarounds

Client Payroll Readiness & Service Delivery

• Take operational ownership of payroll delivery for the US client payroll population
• Help design repeatable payroll workflows, controls, and documentation standards suitable for client-facing payroll operations
• Contribute to payroll operating procedures covering onboarding, recurring processing, compliance tracking, filings, reconciliations, and issue management
• Identify gaps between current internal payroll operating model and scalable client service model requirements
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to improve service readiness, delivery quality, and operational risk management
• Support growth of the US client payroll book as the North American service offering scales

SOPs, Documentation & Reporting

• Develop and maintain payroll Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for US operations (internal and client-facing)
• Maintain organized, complete, and audit-ready payroll records
• Produce monthly payroll reports and variance summaries for senior management
• Support internal governance reporting and stakeholder communications on payroll performance

Systems & Process Improvement

• Assess current in-house payroll configuration to identify functional, compliance, and control gaps
• Partner with internal stakeholders to improve payroll set-up, controls, and calculation logic
• Recommend pragmatic automation opportunities and process improvements without compromising compliance
• Support future-state payroll design and operational scalability as the US client book grows

International Payroll Operations

• Support payroll operations in other jurisdictions by reviewing payroll files from third-party vendors to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Assist in readiness and set-up activities for launching payroll operations in new markets
• Provide cross-regional payroll support across the Americas and other regions as needed
• Own international payroll governance across assigned markets, ensuring compliance, controls, and operational standards are consistently maintained

Requirements

Essential

• Minimum 6 years of US payroll experience with demonstrated ability to independently design, own, and execute full payroll remit
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) qualification is required
• Strong multi-state payroll experience including federal, state, and local tax compliance
• Solid working knowledge of IRS requirements, FICA, FUTA, SUTA, W-2 obligations, and state/local payroll taxes
• Proven experience with manual payroll calculations and manual statutory filings across multiple states
• Experience building or strengthening payroll controls in underdeveloped or partially manual environments
• Strong reconciliation, documentation, and audit-readiness skills
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment with evolving processes and structures

Strongly Preferred

• Experience in payroll services, Employer of Record (EOR), Professional Employer Organization (PEO), or client-facing payroll delivery environments
• Experience managing payroll for third-party client populations, not just internal employees
• Familiarity with MasterTax, Symmetry, or similar payroll tax engines and tax set-up tools
• Experience supporting W-2 preparation, year-end reporting, audit preparation, and compliance documentation
• Exposure to complex state tax environments including California, New York, Texas, and Illinois
• Exposure to Canadian payroll, particularly multi-province processing and CRA obligations
• Exposure to UK payroll, including familiarity with HMRC obligations, PAYE, and UK statutory requirements
• Spanish language capability is an advantage given the US workforce diversity and broader Americas remit

Location

• This role is based in the United States.