Payroll Tax and Control Lead - Anywhere in the USA

Job Summary

Manages and leads payroll tax administration, payroll tax compliance, and related control frameworks, providing both hands-on execution and strategic guidance to key stakeholders, with primary focus on North America and enterprise impact. This role serves as the payroll tax subject matter expert and escalated payroll compliance authority, owning payroll tax registrations, regulatory change management, vendor accountability, and payroll-related SOX and compliance controls. Operating in a player–coach model, the role combines deep technical expertise with direct execution, ensuring payroll tax and payroll practices are accurate, compliant, auditable, and continuously improving. The role also owns payroll compliance governance beyond tax, covering payroll practices that impact statutory, regulatory, and financial reporting obligations.

This role is open to candidates located anywhere within the United States

Key Tasks & Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

• Payroll Tax Administration & Execution: Manage payroll tax administration, policies, and processes, providing strategic and technical guidance to local payroll teams. Personally execute and oversee payroll tax activities, including registrations, de-registrations, account closures, notices, and jurisdictional maintenance. Maintain payroll tax rates and configurations, including inquiries, updates, validations, and continuous improvements. Serve as the primary escalation point for complex payroll tax inquiries, disputes, and complaints. Further, responsible for Payroll Practices & Specialized Tax Areas: Manage the taxability and setup of new earning and deduction codes.
• Administer audit and validation processes for supplemental compensation payments and work/home location changes to ensure correct state and local withholding. Oversee payroll tax obligations related to non-qualified compensation plans, ensuring compliance with applicable taxation rules and regulations.
• Payroll Tax Strategy, SME & Regulatory Change: Tax and Payroll Controls Subject Matter Expert: Act as the enterprise payroll tax & payroll controls subject matter expert, advising on payroll tax law, regulatory changes, and compliance requirements. Stay current on global, federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and industry trends; assess impacts and ensure changes are implemented accurately and timely. Contribute to the design and execution of payroll tax administration strategies and consult on payroll tax data analysis and performance metrics. Lead payroll tax initiatives tied to organizational changes, including M&A, new entity setup, and geographic expansion.
• Vendor & Agency Management: Liaise with external payroll service providers and tax agencies to ensure smooth operations, compliance, and timely resolution of issues. Own accountability for vendor-delivered payroll tax services, including filings, payments, amendments, and year-end activities. Drive issue resolution, root cause analysis, and corrective actions related to vendor errors or service gaps. Demonstrated experience in remediating complex, multi-state/multi-national payroll tax issues including root-cause analysis and implementing corrective actions. Manage and enforce service level agreements (SLAs) with payroll vendors, holding them accountable for performance, accuracy, and timely delivery of services. Deep understanding of internal control frameworks and their application in a payroll environment. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proven ability to perform root cause analysis and implement effective solutions
• Audit, Reconciliation & Assurance: Lead payroll tax audits and support broader payroll compliance audits; resolve discrepancies and inquiries. Reconcile payroll tax accounts and ensure accurate reporting, documentation, and timely submission of payroll-related data. Perform periodic audits and reconciliations of payroll tax data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance. Monitor audit outcomes, control performance, and operational metrics to drive continuous improvement.

Skills and Minimum Experience Required

• Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent
• 8+ years of progressive experience in payroll / employment tax, payroll compliance, or a similar role
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local tax regulations. Exposure to global payroll tax a plus
• Hands on experience supporting payroll tax audits, reconciliations, and compliance controls
• Working knowledge of payroll related SOX controls, internal controls, or audit environment
• Experience managing or partnering with external payroll and tax service providers, including issue resolution and service accountability
• Ability to interpret regulatory changes and drive timely, accurate implementation within payroll systems and processes
• Experience with SAP Employee Central Payroll or similar enterprise payroll platforms preferred
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills                                                                                                                                                                  
• Payroll certification desired (CPP or FPC)
• Bilingual in Spanish is considered a plus
• Collaborative team player
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Proficient in MS Office and payroll software
• Deep understanding of internal control frameworks and their application in a payroll environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proven ability to perform root cause analysis and implement effective solutions