Mgr Payroll Services

Why UKG:

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That’s what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you’ll get flexibility that’s real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters—and so do you

About the Role:

The Manager, Payroll Services, is responsible for providing operational and service delivery leadership for a portfolio of US Payroll client accounts. With strategic guidance from senior leadership, the Manager will oversee day-to-day payroll operations in alignment with UKG standards, service-level commitments, customer satisfaction goals, quality requirements, and operational excellence.

The individual will lead and develop payroll teams, manage performance and capacity, ensure accurate and timely payroll delivery, and drive continuous improvement across processes. The role will involve partnering with cross-functional teams, including US Payroll leaders, SMEs, implementation teams, HR, and other support functions, to resolve complex issues and ensure business continuity.

The Manager will also manage customer relationships and escalations, support staffing and talent development, contribute to automation and transformation initiatives, and serve as a subject-matter leader in complex payroll situations. The role may also require individual contributor support for critical client matters and high-priority operational needs.

Service Delivery

Ensure that the team executes US Payroll services in compliance with UKG’s defined processes, policies, controls, and quality standards.
Ensure that all client payroll activities are properly planned, documented, tracked, and completed within agreed service-level timelines.
Effectively balance team capacity and resources based on workload, payroll complexity, client requirements, and employee expertise.
Monitor payroll calendars, key processing milestones, audits, approvals, and critical deadlines to ensure accurate and timely payroll delivery.
Serve as the first point of contact for team-related issues, client concerns, operational risks, and escalations.
Monitor team performance against established service delivery metrics, including SLA/TAT adherence, payroll accuracy, quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, and error trends.
Work with US stakeholders to set priorities based on business demand and ensure achievement of operational goals.
Drive the team’s ability to meet quality, volume, accuracy, and timeliness expectations by managing daily operations and recommending process improvements.
Lead process improvement and innovation initiatives across US Payroll operations to improve efficiency, accuracy, scalability, and customer experience.
Encourage team members to identify and implement innovative solutions, automation opportunities, and best-practice improvements.
Evaluate existing processes, identify gaps and inefficiencies, and drive sustainable improvements in partnership with US stakeholders.
Track the impact of process improvements through measurable outcomes such as improved productivity, reduced errors, enhanced quality, and time savings.
Act as a trusted advisor to internal and external stakeholders on US Payroll operations, service delivery, and issue resolution.

Teamwork

Participate in account reviews and business discussions with Account Management, Implementation, and other cross-functional teams.
Provide direct support during customer meetings, payroll reviews, escalations, and complex operational situations as required.
Work with US stakeholders to effectively leverage cross-functional resources and ensure business continuity.
Ensure that team members have the required training, tools, knowledge, and support to achieve business objectives.
Partner with US Payroll SMEs, Global Support, Product, HR, and other functions to resolve customer issues in a timely and effective manner.
Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across teams, locations, and payroll processes.
Resource Management and Business Performance
Manage workforce planning, capacity, staffing, and resource allocation based on workload, payroll complexity, client requirements, and business demand.
Effectively balance team resources to ensure adequate coverage, service continuity, and efficient utilization.
Conduct regular operational reviews to maintain a detailed understanding of client status, payroll performance, risks, capacity, and improvement opportunities.
Ensure that operational metrics and service commitments are achieved or exceeded as a measure of operational excellence.
Provide regular forecasts and updates covering workload, staffing, capacity, risks, escalations, and business priorities.
Support hiring plans, onboarding, workforce planning, and resource deployment decisions for the assigned payroll function.
Monitor resource utilization and operational costs while supporting business objectives.
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, productivity, quality, and customer experience through automation and process transformation.
Proactively identify opportunities to strengthen client relationships, expand service support, and contribute to business growth.

Customer-Related Activity

Partner with Account Management, Implementation, Service Architects, and other relevant stakeholders to define and communicate payroll service delivery expectations.
Participate in customer meetings, business reviews, service reviews, and escalation calls as needed.
Analyse, monitor, and respond to feedback received through customer satisfaction surveys, account reviews, and direct customer input.
Serve as the operational owner for assigned client accounts and ensure that customer needs are addressed effectively.
Ensure timely communication of payroll risks, service issues, corrective actions, and recovery plans to customers and internal stakeholders.
Build strong, trusted relationships with customers and manage sensitive or difficult conversations professionally.

Leadership

Cascade business objectives, operational expectations, service standards, and performance measures to the team.
Own team performance by setting priorities, managing daily activities, and coaching people leaders and payroll professionals.
Provide ongoing and timely feedback to employees regarding performance, behaviours, strengths, and development opportunities.
Ensure that team members maintain and enhance their payroll knowledge, product expertise, technical skills, and leadership capabilities.
Conduct performance reviews and establish clear, measurable development plans for team members.
Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, continuous improvement, and employee empowerment.
Recommend staffing requirements, team structures, training needs, and process changes required to achieve business objectives.
Demonstrate strategic thinking, sound judgment, and the ability to make timely decisions in complex situations.
Develop the ability to manage senior stakeholder and C-level conversations and customer engagements.
Model UKG’s core values and establish high standards for service delivery, quality, and employee experience.

Basic Qualifications
9+ years of experience in US Payroll, HCM, SaaS operations, or a related service delivery environment.
5+ years of people management or people leadership experience.
Strong experience managing customer-facing payroll operations and internal teams.
Demonstrated experience managing customer and internal resources during escalations, payroll-impacting issues, and complex operational situations.
Strong understanding of US Payroll processes, controls, compliance requirements, service delivery, and customer support.
Proven ability to balance customer satisfaction, payroll accuracy, operational requirements, and business objectives.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working with UKG Pro, UKG Ready, UltiPro, or another enterprise payroll and HCM platform.
Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and an MBA in Finance.
FPC or CPP certification.
Proven track record of delivering accurate, timely, and high-quality payroll services to a diverse customer base.
Excellent written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.
Strong business acumen, including workforce planning, capacity management, forecasting, resource utilization, and operational performance management.
Experience leading automation, transformation, process improvement, innovation, client transitions, or large-scale payroll initiatives.

Company Overview:

UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry — because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at ukg.com.

UKG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including the recruitment process.

Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process

For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email [email protected]