Senior Payroll Manager

Locations Atlanta Boston Connecticut - Darien New Jersey Tampa Overview Do you want to do work that matters, alongside supportive leaders who will help you grow faster than you ever thought possible? Are you a creative problem‑solver who is energized by challenges? You've come to the right place. Key Responsibilities You will lead the end-to-end payroll strategy for the U.S. and Canada, with responsibility for the accurate, compliant, and timely delivery of payroll for over 11,000 colleagues. You will play a highly visible leadership role, driving operational excellence while influencing key decisions related to payroll across North America. In your day-to-day work, you will lead the North America payroll team by applying deep technical expertise and providing guidance to leaders on a wide range of payroll-related matters. You will oversee the full payroll lifecycle across North America, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance, while establishing standard metrics and service level agreements to enhance transparency and improve the colleague experience. You will act as the escalation point for complex payroll issues, driving resolution of high-risk or sensitive matters with sound judgment. You will collaborate closely with Finance, Tax, Compliance, HR, Technology, and external vendors to deliver a seamless and integrated payroll experience. You will drive execution through a distributed team, focusing on performance, capability building, and consistency. You will also ensure strong controls, data integrity, and audit readiness, maintaining robust, scalable, and well-governed processes. You will drive continuous improvement efforts, including process standardization, system optimization (such as SAP ECP), and integration with upstream and downstream processes. You will help shape solutions for complex payroll scenarios, particularly those involving tax, benefits, and regulatory considerations, while proactively identifying and mitigating risks. You will support innovation by leveraging and advancing systems and tools to modernize and automate payroll operations. You will establish and maintain clear governance, documentation, and processes to support sustainable, high‑quality payroll delivery. You will also contribute to broader Finance priorities as a payroll subject matter expert, supporting cross‑functional initiatives and informed decision‑making. Reporting into the North America Controllership function, you will partner closely with North America Finance, Tax, Compliance, HR, Global Payroll Operations, and Technology teams to drive consistency and continuous improvement. You will also collaborate with Technology to support and enhance SAP payroll and related systems. You will combine deep functional expertise with strong leadership, overseeing day‑to‑day payroll operations, managing escalations, and setting priorities to mitigate risk and improve outcomes in a complex, matrixed environment. You will lead a distributed team across onshore and offshore resources, building capability and ensuring a high‑performing payroll function. As part of One Firm Finance, you will ensure the integrity and reliability of payroll delivery across North America, helping safeguard the firm through strong compliance and operational discipline. You will serve as the primary leader for payroll matters in the region, applying expert judgment to complex tax, benefits, and regulatory considerations. You will oversee payroll execution through direct leadership and coordination across teams, ensuring consistent and high‑quality delivery while addressing escalations, resolving systemic issues, and strengthening operational stability. You will partner across functions to shape solutions aligned with U.S. and Canadian regulatory requirements, including IRS guidelines, ensuring payroll supports evolving benefits, compensation structures, and legislative changes. Through this work, you will drive proactive risk management, continuous process improvement, and long‑term operational resilience. Growth & Development You are someone who thrives in a high‑performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we’ll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well‑rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference. When you join us, you will have: Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast‑paced learning experience, owning your journey. A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes. Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Exceptional benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well‑being for you and your family. Qualifications and Skills 10+ years of payroll experience with deep expertise in U.S. payroll operations, tax, and compliance Experience leading payroll in complex, multi‑entity or professional services environments with proven ability to manage complex payroll issues and escalations Strong knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local tax regulations and benefits‑related payroll implications; Canada knowledge a plus Experience with payroll systems (e.g., SAP ECP, ADP), including implementations or enhancements Strong understanding of controls, audit, and risk management Demonstrated experience leading and developing distributed teams Salary & Benefits Salary Range: $190,900 – $254,600 USD gross per year. This range reflects our best estimate of the lowest to highest for this role across all office locations in the United States. Adjustments may be made based on your office location, experience, and skills. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonuses based on performance. In addition to competitive compensation, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage; telemedicine services; life, accident, and disability insurance; parental leave and family planning benefits; caregiving resources; a generous retirement contribution program; financial guidance; and paid time off. EEO Statement FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites. #J-18808-Ljbffr