Sr Manager, Payroll

Pilot Company is an industry-leading network of travel centers with more than 30,000 team members and over 750 retail and fueling locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces. Our energy and logistics division serves as a top supplier of fuel, employing one of the largest tanker fleets and providing critical services to oil operations in our nation's busiest basins. Pilot Company supports a growing portfolio of brands with expertise in supply chain and retail operations, logistics and transportation, technology and digital innovation, construction, maintenance, human resources, finance, sales and marketing.

Founded in 1958 by Jim A. Haslam II and currently led by CEO Adam Wright, our founding values, people-first culture and commitment to giving back remains true to us today. Whether we are serving guests, a fellow team member, or a trucking company, we are dedicated to fueling people and keeping North America moving.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Military encouraged to apply.

This role will require relocation to Knoxville, TN - Relocation assistance provided!

Sr Manager, Payroll is a critical role responsible for overseeing and leading the payroll function, collaborating with internal and external partners to standardize processes, drive efficiency and ensuring seamless, compliant and timely payroll and taxation processing for all Team Members in US and Canada. The Senior Manager will spearhead payroll projects, audits, process improvements, and operational strategies to scale payroll operations and adjust to the organizational needs.

• Lead the payroll department, coach, mentor, recruit and develop the best-in-class talent that will be subject matter experts and ensure completion and achievement of annual SMART goals
• Assists with the development of multi-year departmental goals and roadmap to align with organizational objectives
• Assists with the development and execution of a strategic plan to scale and optimize the payroll administration that can support business growth and improve service delivery in various regions
• Interpret pay, compensation and benefit policies to ensure accurate payroll setup and payment calculations
• Lead and adapt to the evolving regulatory requirements, organizational changes, and technological advancements in the payroll landscape
• Lead cross-functional activities (HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, and external payroll vendors) and working sessions to design and align payroll operations to ensure business objectives and priorities are met and executed effectively
• Assess operational processes, performance data and trends, identify opportunities to drive the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of standardized payroll processes, policies, and controls
• Identify and resolve payroll discrepancies proactively, ensuring timely resolution of employee inquiries and escalations
• Design, implement, monitor, and communicate important payroll performance data and metrics, use such metrics to optimize payroll accuracy and processes
• Design and implement effective procedures for payroll-related financial closing and filing activities for the month/quarter/year-end and internal/external audits
• Design and implement essential procedures for SOX controls and conduct regular testing and attestation of such controls
• Design and implement essential procedures for payroll related M&A and divestitures
• Manage vendor relationships, ensuring high-quality service delivery and exploring opportunities for vendor consolidation or outsourcing where applicable
• Stay updated on global payroll trends, laws, and best practices, advising leadership on potential risks and opportunities
• Lead and partners with HR Shared Services team and other key stakeholders with developing and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
• Model behaviors that support the company’s common purpose; ensure guests and team members are supported at the highest level
• Oversee daily payroll activities and participate in weekly payroll processing and probe cases to determine root causes of issues
• Complete other duties as assigned

• Minimum seven years’ experience in multi-state and Canadian payroll
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, finance or related field or a combination of more years of experience in the field and a payroll certification
• Minimum 3 year’s experience in a leadership role
• Thorough working knowledge of pay and tax regulations
• Strong initiative management skills from concept to planning to implementation, a change agent, results focused, resourceful and critical thinker
• Demonstrated ability to establish workload priorities and balance diverse tasks as well as effectively
• Resilient and able to navigate changing business requirements, and challenging situations in a positive and productive manner  
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills 
• Strong organizational, attention to detail and multi-tasking skills 
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills 
• Proficient in MS Office
• Certified Payroll Professional preferred
• Experience leading payroll system implementations and integrations
• Through working knowledge and understanding of human resource principles and practices especially knowledge of rate of pay computations, health, retirement, incentive plans calculations and taxation
• Strong understanding and working knowledge of INFOR (Lawson S3) Payroll System
• Experience working with other HRIS and Payroll Systems, including platforms such as Oracle, Workday and ADP

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