Payroll Manager - Cox Farms

Job Description

Job Description

About Cox Farms

Cox Farms, which operates throughout North America, is part of the Cox Enterprises family of businesses and a pioneering leader in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry. Backed by Cox Enterprises’ long-standing commitment to building stronger businesses and a better world, Cox Farms is dedicated to revolutionizing food production through sustainable and innovative technology. Our cutting-edge facilities leverage advanced agronomic, production, and greenhouse systems to deliver fresh, high-quality produce to consumers year-round—minimizing environmental impact while maximizing resource efficiency.

Role Purpose

The Manager, Payroll owns payroll operations across North America, leading a team and operating with a high degree of independence. This role is accountable for payroll accuracy, compliance, team performance, and continuous improvement across Cox Farms. Success requires sound judgment, proactive communication, and the ability to drive the function forward without being managed to outcomes. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader that serves as a payroll expert with deep knowledge of regional payroll regulations, tax compliance, and team leadership. 

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Payroll Execution:

• Own end-to-end payroll processing across North America and is accountable for accuracy, timeliness, and compliance
• Serve as the organization's payroll subject matter expert providing guidance on tax rules, garnishments, statutory deductions, and year-end filings (i.e. W-2, T4, RL-1)
• Identify and resolve discrepancies independently and with urgency; communicate resolutions in a timely manner with a customer-service approach
• Own the payroll systems and vendor relationship across North America, including report configuration, testing, and troubleshooting 
• Partner with Finance, HR, and external vendors to ensure seamless payroll integration and data integrity 

Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing payroll team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Set clear performance goals and provide regular feedback and coaching to team members
• Promote cross-training and knowledge sharing to build team resilience and adaptability
• Identify and implement process enhancements to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure operational excellence
• Apply performance standards, peer-review practices, and escalation paths for Payroll teams
• Develop and maintain Payroll policies and processes including but not limited to policies on time off, sick leave, and error correction 
• Partner with HR/Employee Relations on all formal performance-related conversations, coaching plans, and documentation
• Track commitments made to the team (assignments, follow-ups, open issues) and close the loop timely and reliably

Process Improvement & Compliance:

• Leverage technology and automation to streamline payroll operations and reporting
• Ensure compliance with all payroll-related audits, filings, and remittances (e.g., IRS, CRA, state/provincial agencies)
• Lead internal controls and risk mitigation strategies related to payroll and tax compliance
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll legislation, tax laws, and regulatory changes
• Independently drive continuous improvement of payroll processes by identifying inefficiencies and implementing solutions 
• Monitor regulatory changes across North America and implement required updates proactively
• Manage audits, tax filings, and government remittances; maintain compliance with internal controls and data privacy requirements
• Build scalable processes that support business expansion without degradation in accuracy or compliance
• Lead payroll readiness for organizational changes (M&A, new provinces/states, headcount growth)

Stakeholder Communication:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll-related inquiries and escalations
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to support business initiatives, workforce changes, and compliance requirements
• Provide strategic insights and reports to senior leadership on payroll trends, risks, and opportunities
• Communicate payroll matters to the Head of Total Rewards and other stakeholders clearly and proactively
• Produce all written communication — including emails, reports, policy documentation, and correspondence with employees, vendors, and government agencies — at a professional, polished standard appropriate to a management-level role, free of grammatical and structural errors
• Produce accurate payroll reporting and analysis that supports business continuity needs

Qualifications

Required:

• 5-7 years of experience in payroll operations, with demonstrated expertise in US and Canadian payroll
• 3+ years leading or managing a payroll team with direct accountability for results
• Strong knowledge of multi-state/province tax rules, garnishments, statutory deductions, and year-end requirements
• Familiarity with ADP, Workday Payroll, or comparable enterprise payroll systems
• Proven ability to manage payroll independently, identifying and resolving issues without escalation
• Demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and building strong working relationships with direct reports, including managing performance issues in partnership with HR
• Clear, concise, and professional written and verbal communication skills across all levels of the organization; correspondence, reports, and documentation are well-structured and error-free without requiring editing support
• Hands-on proficiency running and building reports independently

Preferred:

• 10+ Experience managing multi-state and multi-province payroll within a single payroll cycle
• Experience working with ADP, Workday Payroll, or comparable enterprise payroll systems
• Experience building SOPs and internal controls in a growing organization