Sr Manager Payroll

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Responsible for leading the strategy, integrity, and delivery of all LKQ North American payrolls, ensuring compliance and shaping the future of payroll operations through Workday and emerging technologies. Serves as a strategic leader of payroll subject matter experts, building a high-performing team that delivers accurate, efficient, and scalable payroll services. Partners with HR, Finance, and business leadership to anticipate challenges, support growth and acquisitions, and drive continuous improvement across payroll operations.

Essential Job Duties

• Evaluate existing and new payroll-related regulations on an ongoing basis as they relate to LKQ North America’s payroll activities and field operations to ensure compliance with all applicable payroll and tax regulations.
• Develop and maintain payroll processes and internal controls to preserve the quality, efficiency, and overall effectiveness of all payroll functions while ensuring regulatory compliance. Maintain required documentation and review support for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.
• Lead payroll innovation by optimizing Workday Payroll, introducing automation technologies (including AI/RPA), and streamlining workflows to reduce manual effort and improve accuracy. Evaluate and recommend opportunities to manage costs and increase service levels for the internal and external customers supported by each department.
• Build and maintain a high-functioning team by ensuring appropriate training and evaluation of employees to enhance their performance, development, and work product. Motivate and reward employees including providing salary increases and promotions within allocated budgets and company guidelines.
• Partner with HR, Benefits, and Accounting to review cross-departmental impacts, strategy, and reconcile data sharing related to payroll. Work collaboratively to implement changes leading to best-in-class operations.
• Set a tone of collaboration among the payroll team, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to provide a high level of customer service.
• Coordinate with corporate, other departments, region management and the field organization to ensure alignment and effectiveness of department goals and activity. Provide reporting and support to enhance their operations.
• Develop and maintain departmental metrics and key performance indicators that reflect the department’s process effectiveness and support policy adherence and enforcement.
• Oversee the payroll activities related to account reconciliation, monthly variance analysis, accrual calculations, and journal entry review.
• Serve as the payroll systems leader, partnering closely with HRIS to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and scalability to support growth, acquisitions, and organizational change.
• Develop payroll subject matter experts into future leaders through coaching, mentoring, and structured development plans. Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and empowerment.
• Anticipate risks and proactively design payroll strategies that address growth, regulatory changes, and organizational transformation.
• Communicate payroll insights and risks effectively to senior leadership, providing clear recommendations that support decision-making.
• Lead payroll change management efforts to ensure smooth transitions during system enhancements, acquisitions, and reorganizations.
• Assume other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Manage the work of others, including planning, assigning, scheduling and reviewing work, ensures quality standards. Responsible for hiring, terminating, training and developing, reviewing performance and administering corrective action for staff.

Minimum Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience in a large, complex, multi-entity environment, including 5+ years leading payroll teams.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing payroll operations across multiple countries, preferably including the U.S. and Canada.

Preferred Requirements

• Workday Payroll expertise strongly preferred. Candidates with ADP, SAP, or Oracle payroll leadership experience will be considered if they demonstrate the ability to quickly adapt to Workday.
• Advanced degree.
• Experience leading payroll through Workday implementations, upgrades, acquisitions/divestitures, or equivalent large ERP payroll systems.
• Proven record of developing and promoting payroll talent into senior-level roles.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rates, ratios, and percentages and to draw and interpret graphs.
• Frequent use of Outlook, Word, Excel, graphics, etc. Ability to create, maintain and incorporate functions into Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, databases, and PowerPoint presentations to support business objectives.
• Frequently communicates complex information across departments and interacts with management. Can present, resolve and address delicate situations. Can motivate and persuade others.
• Problems are varied and complex, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation. Problems are solved using knowledge and skills, general precedents and practices.
• Decisions impact the management and operations within a department or business unit. May contribute to business and operational decisions that affect the department.
• Provides and sets goals and priorities for the functional area. May make recommendations for department policies, practices, and programs. Makes decisions for and/or resolves problems for others.
• Prioritize, organize, and oversee tasks and projects: responsible for outcomes.

Essential Physical Demands/Work Environment

• Work is primarily sedentary: must be able to sit for extended periods of time and use a computer, keyboard, and mouse, frequently.
• Travel may be required periodically, including overnight stays (contingent on position requirements).
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Join us for an exciting career journey with positive, driven individuals.