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Lead Payroll Processor Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Endemol Shine North America

$90K - $95K/yr

The Lead Payroll Administrator will be responsible for the effective management of timely and accurate payroll processing. This role will be accountable for staying compliant with all payroll ...

HubSpot

Lead Payroll Analyst

You'll own complex payroll processes, drive automation and process improvements, and serve as a ... Serve as a lead analyst and primary backup for accurate, timely payroll processing across US states ...

TeamHealth

Lead Payroll Specialist

Knoxville, TN · On-site

$22.50 - $30.50/hr

Lead end-to-end payroll processing for bi-weekly and monthly cycles, ensuring 100% accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations. * Process off-cycle payrolls ...

First Student, Inc.

Payroll Lead

Saint Joseph, MO · On-site

$20/hr

Now Hiring: Payroll Lead Pay Rate: $20.00 per hour Why Join First Student? * Competitive Pay ... Process payroll using systems such as Workday, ADP, Kronos, UltiPro, PeopleSoft, Ceridian, or ...

First Student

Payroll Lead

Saint Joseph, MO · On-site

$20/hr

Now Hiring: Payroll Lead Pay Rate: $20.00 per hour Why Join First Student? * Competitive Pay ... Process payroll using systems such as Workday, ADP, Kronos, UltiPro, PeopleSoft, Ceridian, or ...

HCTHealthcare

Manager,Payroll

Sacramento, CA

Lead payroll operations to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing, reporting, reconciliations, and internal controls in accordance with regulatory, tax, audit, and GAAP ...

New

First Student

Payroll Lead

Saint Joseph, MO · On-site

$20/hr

Now Hiring: Payroll Lead Pay Rate: $20.00 per hour Why Join First Student? * Competitive Pay ... Process payroll using systems such as Workday, ADP, Kronos, UltiPro, PeopleSoft, Ceridian, or ...

Peak6 Investments LLC

Payroll Team Lead

Chicago, IL · On-site

$79K - $98K/yr

Payroll Operations Own and execute bi-weekly multi-state payroll processing for exempt and non ... Lead year-end processing including W-2 preparation, balancing, adjustments, and amendments ...

Peak6 Investments LLC

Payroll Team Lead

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$79K - $98K/yr

Payroll Operations Own and execute bi-weekly multi-state payroll processing for exempt and non ... Lead year-end processing including W-2 preparation, balancing, adjustments, and amendments ...

Pathway Talent Partners

Payroll Manager

Hopkins, MN · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

The role offers the opportunity to lead payroll operations in a complex, fast-paced environment while contributing to continuous process improvement. Position Summary The Payroll Manager is ...

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All JobsLead Payroll Processor Jobs

Lead Payroll Processor information

See salary details

$40K

$100.5K

$207K

How much do lead payroll processor jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead payroll processor in the United States is $100,510.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,500.00 and $114,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Lead Payroll Processor, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Lead Payroll Processor, you need deep knowledge of payroll regulations, tax laws, and accounting principles, often supported by a degree in accounting, finance, or related fields. Expertise with payroll software such as ADP, Paychex, or SAP, along with certification like CPP (Certified Payroll Professional), is typically required. Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to handle confidential information make someone stand out in this position. These skills ensure payroll is processed accurately and on time, maintaining compliance and supporting employee satisfaction.

What are some of the common challenges a Lead Payroll Processor faces, and how can they be managed?

Lead Payroll Processors often encounter challenges such as handling complex payroll regulations, ensuring accuracy with large volumes of data, and meeting tight deadlines during payroll cycles. To manage these, staying updated with the latest compliance requirements, implementing strong internal controls, and fostering clear communication within the payroll and HR teams are essential. Additionally, leveraging robust payroll software and regularly auditing processes can help minimize errors and ensure smooth payroll operations.

What is a Lead Payroll Processor?

A Lead Payroll Processor is a payroll professional responsible for overseeing and coordinating payroll operations within an organization. They ensure all employees are paid accurately and on time, handle complex payroll issues, and maintain compliance with tax laws and company policies. In addition to processing payroll, they often supervise a team of payroll clerks, train new staff, and collaborate with HR or finance departments to resolve discrepancies. Their role is critical in maintaining employee satisfaction and organizational compliance.
More about Lead Payroll Processor jobs
What job categories do people searching Lead Payroll Processor jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Lead Payroll Processor jobs are:
Lead Payroll Processor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Payroll Processor job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 40% Full Time, 57% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $100,510 per year, or $48.3 per hour.

Workday Technical Lead, Payroll, Time & Absence

Guardianlife

Stamford, CT

$118K - $195K/yr

Full-time

Posted 25 days ago

Job description

Position Summary

The Workday Technical Lead - Payroll, Time & Absenceis responsible forthe end-to-end technical ownership, design, and governance of Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence modules. This role serves as the system authority for the domain, ensuring scalable design, data integrity, and alignment with business and compliance requirements.

This positionoperateswithin IT and partners closely with Payroll, HR, and external vendors to deliver reliable, efficient, and compliant solutions. While not responsible for payroll processing, this role is accountable for the systems and configurations that enableaccuratepayroll outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Domain Ownership & Technical Leadership

  • Own the architectural and configuration guardrails for Payroll, Time, and Absence, coordinating execution while retaining accountability for outcomes.
  • Establish and maintain standards for configuration, data integrity, and system governance.
  • Make and guide key decisions on system design, scalability, and long-term architecture.
  • Serve as the primary escalation point for complex system and payroll-impacting issues.

System Design & Configuration

  • Lead configuration of payroll elements, time tracking rules, and absence plans with a focus on scalability and maintainability.
  • Ensure configurations support business requirements while minimizing downstream risk.
  • Evaluate and redesign existing configurations to improve performance, accuracy, and usability.

Payroll Systems Enablement (U.S.)

  • Ensure Workday Payroll configurations support accurate and compliant payroll processing.
  • Partner with Payroll leadership to identify risks, gaps, and optimization opportunities.
  • Own enterpriselevel resolution of payrollimpacting issues, including root cause identification, risk mitigation, and longterm remediation.

Global Payroll Integration (India - External Vendor)

  • Own design and reliability of outbound payroll data integrations.
  • Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and auditability across systems.
  • Coordinate with external vendors to resolve systemic issues and improve processes.

Architecture, Integrations & Data

  • Own architectural decisions and tradeoffs for payroll, time, and absence integrations, balancing compliance, scalability, and operational risk (e.g., EIB, APIs, vendor feeds)
  • Ensure alignment between Workday and downstream/upstream systems
  • Define and maintain data standards, controls, and validation processes

Workday Release & Change Governance

  • Lead impact assessment and strategy for Workday biannual releases
  • Establish testing standards and ensure high-quality deployment of changes
  • Govern system changes to ensure stability and avoid unintended impacts

Continuous Improvement & Strategy

  • Identify opportunities to simplify processes, reduce manual work, and improve system efficiency
  • Translate business needs into scalable, forward-looking system solutions
  • Shape and influence the broader HR technology roadmap, representing Payroll, Time, and Absence priorities and tradeoffs.

Stakeholder Leadership

  • Act as the primary technical advisor and decision partner to Payroll, HR, and IT stakeholders
  • Provide clear recommendations and guidance on system capabilities and limitations
  • Influence decision-making through expertise and data-driven insights

Required Qualifications

  • 5+ years of Workday experience with deep expertise in:
  • Workday Payroll (U.S.)
  • Time Tracking
  • Absence
  • Proven experience owning system design and configuration decisions
  • Strong understanding of payroll processes, compliance, and downstream impacts
  • Experience supporting integrations and data flows across systems
  • Demonstrated ability to lead complex problem-solving and root cause analysis

Preferred Qualifications

  • Workday certifications in Payroll, Time Tracking, or Absence
  • Experience with global payroll integrations and vendor coordination
  • Experience with Workday integrations (EIB, Studio, APIs)
  • Background in IT or HR technology environments

Success Factors

  • Operates as the accountable owner of the domain, not just a contributor
  • Makes sound technical decisions with long-term impact in mind
  • Balances stability with continuous improvement
  • Anticipates risks and proactively addresses them
  • Communicates complex technical concepts clearly to stakeholders

Location:

  • Three days a week at a Guardian office in New York, NY, Holmdel, NJ, Stamford, CT or Bethlehem, PA.

Salary Range:

$118,980.00 - $195,465.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you'll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian's Purpose - to inspire well-being - we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits.Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact MyHR@glic.com. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment visas. In order to be a successful applicant. you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship.

Notice Regarding Guardian's Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian's job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools ("AI Tools") to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian's jobs website (Careers at Guardian at https://www.guardianlife.com/careers). At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues.

Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian's use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to MyHR@glic.com, making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian's document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via MyHR@glic.com.

Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here.

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.

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