• Design and lead the payroll operations team and processes to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for all associates across the US, Canada, and Mexico. • Partner closely with HR, Finance and Accounting, and other key stakeholders to execute end-to-end payroll processes and resolve complex payroll-related issues. • Build proactive partnerships with external vendors to ensure payroll processes are executed timely, accurately, and in full compliance with all regulations and company standards. • Leverage and coach the continuous improvement tools empowering the team to proactively identify, root cause, and solve problems to drive sustainable process improvements. • Champion operational excellence by fostering a culture of innovation to identify and evaluate impactful solutions to drive process efficiency and automation, allowing the team to focus on higher-value activities. • Analyze payroll data and metrics to identify trends, ensure data integrity, and support informed decision-making for leadership. • Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness, accuracy, and efficiency of payroll operations, and lead the team through problem-solving when targets are not met. • Lead payroll integration during mergers and acquisitions, partnering with upstream and downstream process owners to ensure seamless transitions and maintain operational continuity across all entities. • Develop and maintain documentation for payroll procedures, controls, and process improvements to support audit readiness and operational transparency. • Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local payroll regulations, proactively monitoring legislative changes and implementing necessary adjustments to maintain compliance.