US Payroll Manager

Description
The Payroll Manager - United States is responsible for the end-to-end execution of payroll and timekeeping operations for roughly 80K U.S. employees, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely pay. The role includes leading key workstreams such as Hourly Payroll, Salary Payroll, Tax Compliance, Payroll Accounting, Timekeeping, and payroll-related benefits and deductions. Given the number of inputs coming into payroll, this role requires daily interaction with HR, Labor, Manufacturing, IT, Finance, GBS, as well as external vendors and advisors supporting the payroll operation (e.g., payroll processors, tax and legal advisors).
Key Responsibilities
• Manage end-to-end payroll processing for unionized and non-unionized employees across the United States, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and on-time payment for all regular and off-cycle runs.
• Partner with HR, Labor Relations, Finance, and other key stakeholders to support business decisions and provide expert payroll guidance on topics such as wage structures, incentives, and policy changes.
• Ensure full compliance with U.S. federal, state, and local requirements, including wage-and-hour regulations (e.g., FLSA), tax withholding and reporting, garnishments, Social Security/Medicare, and other statutory and regulatory obligations.
• Respond to inquiries from government authorities and other institutions (e.g., IRS, state and local revenue agencies, Department of Labor, court and agency orders), including audits, data requests, and employee-specific inquiries.
• Provide support and timely responses to internal and external auditors, including documentation, reconciliations, testing support, and process explanations; implement corrective actions for identified control gaps.
• Ensure strong internal controls within the payroll function, including proper segregation of duties, approval workflows, documentation standards, reconciliations, and management reviews in alignment with GM policies and SOX requirements where applicable.
• Oversee and validate payroll accounting entries, ensuring correct posting to the general ledger, accurate account reconciliations, and tight alignment with Finance, Controllership, and internal/external reporting requirements.
• Manage and resolve complex payroll issues, discrepancies, and escalations, including multi-state tax situations, retroactive pay, overpayments, and corrective adjustments, ensuring root cause analysis and sustainable solutions.
• Drive process standardization and optimization across U.S. payroll, identifying opportunities for automation, simplification, and self-service, and leveraging digital tools and analytics to improve quality and cycle time.
• Ensure correct configuration and operation of payroll and timekeeping systems (e.g., SAP, UKG, Workday and related interfaces), including earnings/deduction codes, tax tables, calendars, and integration points with HR and Finance systems.
• Safeguard sensitive data and personally identifiable information (PII), ensuring compliance with GM security standards and privacy requirements, and modeling the highest levels of confidentiality and integrity.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with all levels of the organization, including senior leadership, plant and functional teams, and external partners; provide concise updates, issue summaries, and recommendations.
• Prepare and manage the U.S. payroll operating budget, monitor expenses on an ongoing basis, and identify cost-reduction and efficiency opportunities while maintaining strong control and service levels.
• Collaborate with vendors and technology partners to identify and implement proactive solutions and enhancements, manage service performance, and ensure high-quality, reliable payroll delivery.
Knowledge/Skills/Attributes
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail for reviewing reports, reconciliations, and large data sets • Global experience / perspective preferred.
• Finance, HR, IT, Manufacturing and/or Labor Relations background preferred.
• Experience in leading and managing internal and external teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Great ability to mplement projects and solve problems.
• Ability to manage change by simplifying the complex and able to influence others.
• Leadership Expert (inspiring and motivating, getting work done through others, often across silos)
• Functional Expert- experience using Timekeeping, Payroll, Finance systems
• Negotiating/Conflict Management
• Demonstrated experience in project management
Education Credentials
• BA/BS in Finance, Operations Management, Business Administration Information Systems, or related field.
About GM
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