Director, Payroll

Company: Americold
Location: Atlanta
Posted on: June 1, 2025

Job Description:

Primary Responsibility:The Director of Payroll will provide strategic and operational leadership in all aspects of payroll, including administration, design and communication, to ensure accurate and timely payments to our associates. The current payroll environment supports weekly and bi-weekly pay cycles and utilizes Oracle and various other third-party vendors. This position will be responsible for successfully managing the payroll team, leading and driving the continuous improvement of all payroll services, ensuring tax and legal compliance, and governance of all payroll activities. This role will build and maintain relationships across the U.S. business and with our external partners.Essential Functions:

• People Management: Lead all aspects of people management fostering a positive and collaborative team that encourages associate development, payroll process improvements and system efficiencies.
• System Management: Oversee and maintain payroll systems to ensure data integrity, accuracy and process improvements.
• Payroll Processing: Oversee the accurate and timely processing of payroll, including wages, benefits, deductions and tax withholdings.
• Compliance: Ensure all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations are maintained and implemented timely and accurately.
• Process and Policy Excellence: Implement and maintain standardized payroll processes and policy development to ensure consistency, accuracy and compliance across the US business.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive process excellence to enhance service delivery and the associate experience.
• Audit and Reconciliation: Manage overall audit and reconciliation of payroll transactions to ensure accuracy; ensure compliance with SOX controls and other control requirements.
• Collaboration with business partners: Collaborate with HR Business Partners and Operations, HRIS, Accounting/Finance, Audit and other department teams to ensure payroll processes are aligned and implemented.
• Communication: Effectively communicate with associates about payroll matters and updates to address questions and concerns.
• Relationship Building: Build and maintain strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and partners.
• Reporting: Generate payroll related reports and dashboards that provide meaningful insights to help forecast and support decision-making.
• Other projects as assigned.What Experience and Education You Need:
  • Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in Payroll.
  • Proven track record of successfully leading teams and fostering training and development.
  • Extensive experience with Kronos (UKG) for time and labor.
  • Critical thinker with ability to see long-term solutions, work through complex issues and recommend effective solutions for the best outcome.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with high attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Accountable for quality, accuracy and timeliness of results and overseeing complex issues with a sense of urgency.
  • Experience in creating effective operating models and solutioning complex processes to gain efficiencies.
  • Effective communication and people skills, with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally and communicate payroll-related information to associates, management, and key stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
  • Extensive experience with high volume hourly labor force.
  • SOX experience required.
  • Oracle experience preferred.What Could Set You Apart:
    • Excellent problem solving, analysis and decision-making skills.
    • Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task required.
    • Strong ability to operate within a complex organization with multiple stakeholders.
    • Demonstrates uncompromising level of integrity and code of ethics and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.Physical Requirements:
      • Requires the ability to sit for long periods of time, with frequent interruptions.
      • Requires several hours per day of sitting, getting up and down from chairs, and reaching, or bending.
      • Requires manual dexterity with normal hand and finger movements for typical office work.
      • Talking, hearing, and seeing are important elements of completing assigned tasks.
      • May require travel by automobile and airplane for business.
      • May require visits to warehouse operations in temperatures at or below freezing.
      • May require carrying loads related to travel and the occasional lifting, carrying, positioning, and/or moving of objects weighing up to 20 pounds.
      • Requires the use of various electronic tools.Work Environment:The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.What We Offer:Our associates know the answer to the question What's in it for me? We offer best-in-class benefit programs and continuously work with our associates to ensure that our offerings meet the needs of their health and financial well-being. When you join Americold you join a values-oriented company with a clear mission. We help our customers feed the world.Americold is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and complies with applicable employment laws. EOE/AA M/F/D/V DFW.
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Keywords: Americold, Marietta , Director, Payroll, Accounting, Auditing , Atlanta, Georgia