Payroll Operations Manager Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

About NAES

At NAES, you’ll find engaging and challenging career opportunities across conventional power generation, renewable energy, energy storage, grid operations and complex industrial facilities. At every level of the company, our people share a common goal: to instill confidence in our clients through a steadfast commitment to safety, integrity, and the quality of our work.

NAES is largest independent operator of power facilities in the industry, managing more than 400 facilities and over 60 GW of generation under contract across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the UK. Powered by a team of roughly 4,000 people, we now support the full life cycle of energy and industrial plants — from development and construction through operations, optimization, digital transformation and decommissioning — giving our employees the opportunity to grow their careers while helping to modernize the critical infrastructure that keeps communities running.

Sr. Manager, Global Payroll & HRIS

Lead. Transform. Influence.

At NAES, we believe payroll is far more than processing transactions—it's one of the most visible expressions of trust between an employer and its employees. Every paycheck represents our commitment to our people.

We're looking for an exceptional leader who sees payroll and HR technology as strategic business functions, not administrative ones. This is an opportunity for someone who thrives building high-performing teams, modernizing systems, developing people, and creating world-class employee experiences across a global organization.

You'll lead an outstanding payroll and HRIS organization while partnering closely with Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, IT, Legal, and executive leadership to shape the future of how we operate. If you're energized by solving complex problems, inspiring teams, simplifying processes, and leading through influence, we'd like to meet you.

Position Summary

The Sr. Manager of Global Payroll & HRIS provides strategic leadership for all global payroll operations and HR technology. This executive leader is responsible for developing the long-term vision for payroll, ensuring exceptional operational execution, strengthening governance and compliance, and building scalable systems that support the organization's continued growth.

Success in this role requires more than technical expertise. We're seeking a leader with strong emotional intelligence, sound business judgment, and a passion for developing people. Someone who creates clarity during change, builds trust across functions, and inspires teams to continuously improve.

The Sr. Manager leads the end-to-end delivery of accurate, compliant, and timely payroll operations while driving modernization of payroll and HRIS platforms to improve the employee experience and organizational efficiency.

What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a forward-looking global payroll and HRIS strategy that supports organizational growth and scalability
• Build a culture focused on operational excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on payroll strategy, workforce technology, compliance, and organizational risk
• Lead transformational initiatives that simplify processes, improve efficiency, and enhance the employee experience

Build High-Performing Teams

• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain exceptional payroll and HRIS professionals
• Foster an environment built on trust, collaboration, accountability, and ownership
• Develop future leaders while encouraging innovation, curiosity, and professional growth
• Lead with humility, empathy, and emotional intelligence

Global Payroll Excellence

• Oversee accurate and timely payroll processing across multiple countries and jurisdictions
• Ensure compliance with international, federal, state, provincial, and local payroll, tax, wage, and employment regulations
• Own payroll governance, internal controls, audit readiness, JSOX compliance, and data privacy standards
• Continuously evaluate and improve payroll policies, controls, and operating procedures

HR Technology & Process Transformation

• Lead the strategic direction of payroll and HRIS platforms, including UKG Workforce and future technologies
• Identify opportunities to automate workflows, improve integrations, and leverage technology to eliminate manual processes
• Champion data integrity and reporting capabilities that support better business decisions
• Partner with IT to ensure scalable, secure, and resilient HR technology solutions

Financial Partnership

• Partner closely with Finance and Accounting to ensure accurate payroll accounting, reconciliations, accruals, executive compensation, and financial reporting
• Ensure payroll data supports audit requirements and organizational financial controls
• Identify opportunities to improve forecasting, reporting, and operational efficiency

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build trusted relationships across HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, Tax, Operations, and executive leadership
• Influence decisions through collaboration rather than authority
• Communicate complex issues clearly and confidently to executives and stakeholders
• Lead organizational change with transparency and confidence

Vendor & Service Delivery

• Establish strategic partnerships with global payroll providers and technology vendors
• Hold partners accountable through clearly defined service levels and performance expectations
• Continuously evaluate vendor performance, technology, and opportunities for improvement

What Success Looks Like

• Build an engaged, high-performing team that enjoys working together
• Create a culture where people are empowered to solve problems and improve processes
• Deliver an exceptional employee payroll experience built on accuracy, responsiveness, and trust
• Modernize payroll operations through technology and automation
• Strengthen governance while simplifying how work gets done
• Become a trusted business partner to executive leadership
• Leave the organization stronger than they found it

What We're Looking For

Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related discipline
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) required
• 12+ years of progressive payroll leadership, including significant global payroll responsibility
• Proven experience leading large-scale payroll transformation and HRIS modernization initiatives
• Experience managing complex international payroll operations across multiple jurisdictions
• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing teams

Leadership Competencies

We're looking for someone who brings both technical excellence and exceptional leadership

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• High emotional intelligence and self-awareness
• Executive presence with humility and authenticity
• Strong business and financial acumen
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills
• Strategic thinking balanced with operational discipline
• Courage to make difficult decisions while leading with empathy
• Ability to inspire, coach, and develop others
• Intellectual curiosity and continuous learning
• A growth mindset with a passion for innovation
• Calm, thoughtful leadership during periods of change

Working Relationships

• Reports to Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer

Compensation

The initial compensation will range from $152,200 to $175,100 depending on experience

Partners closely with

• Executive Leadership Team
• Human Resources
• Finance & Accounting
• Information Technology
• Legal & Compliance
• Global Operations
• External Payroll Partners

NAES Safe

Safety is a core value of NAES and as a condition of employment, all employees are expected to be mentally alert and work safely at all times.  Additionally, employees are required to adhere to all safety warnings and posted safety signs whenever on company property.  Furthermore, employees must follow all NAES safety rules and procedures.  Effectiveness in carrying out this responsibility is part of the evaluation of each employee’s performance.

NAES is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is the practice of NAES to seek employees of the highest quality and to select individuals on the basis of merit and competence, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status or affiliation protected under USERRA, or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by applicable local, state and federal law.