Manager of Payroll Systems & Strategy

Role Description

We’re hiring a Manager, Payroll Systems & Strategy, to own and optimize how payroll operates at Curana Health. This role sits at the intersection of payroll, systems, and process improvement—driving accuracy, scalability, and a strong employee experience as the organization grows.

This position is responsible for supporting a compliant, efficient, and scalable payroll environment across a multi-state healthcare organization. The role oversees payroll systems, integrations, automation initiatives, governance, tax operations oversight, vendor management, and process optimization to reduce manual effort and improve operational performance across the payroll function.

• Partner closely with Payroll, HR, Finance, Benefits, IT, and Operations to strengthen controls, streamline workflows, improve accuracy, and support scalable business operations.
• Support oversight of payroll tax operations, including multi-state compliance, agency notices, powers of attorneys (POAs), tax issue resolution, and coordination with ADP tax services and external vendors.
• Partner with Payroll and Benefits teams to support payroll processes related to leaves of absence (LOAs), deductions, tax setup, and employee pay impacts.
• Assist with payroll tax discrepancies, agency inquiries, reconciliations, compliance escalations, and vendor-related tax issues.
• Support Workday payroll configuration, testing, enhancements, and ongoing system optimization.
• Manage payroll-related integrations across Workday, ADP, benefits, retirement, finance, and third-party vendor platforms.
• Partner with Payroll, Benefits, HRIS, Finance, and vendors to support accurate payroll deductions, file feeds, and payroll-related data processing.
• Monitor and help resolve payroll integration issues, deduction discrepancies, vendor file errors, and payroll processing impacts.
• Identify opportunities for automation, workflow improvements, and reduction of manual payroll processes.
• Partner cross-functionally to improve payroll processes, system functionality, and operational efficiency.
• Support payroll controls, audit readiness, reconciliations, and compliance reporting activities.
• Maintain data integrity across systems impacting payroll operations and downstream financial processes.
• Support payroll operations related to organizational growth, acquisitions, and evolving business needs.
• Serve as a key resource for troubleshooting payroll system, integration, deduction, and tax-related issues.
• Manage vendor relationships related to payroll operations, tax services, retirement administration, and payroll system support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Information Systems, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in payroll operations, payroll systems, HRIS, automations, payroll systems, payroll tax, and benefits deductions within a multi-state environment required.
• Experience supporting payroll in a multi-state environment required.
• Hands-on experience with Workday Payroll and ADP required, including payroll systems, integrations, payroll tax support and vendor management required.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills required.
• Experience working with payroll systems, data integrations, and process optimization initiatives required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting payroll operations in a high growth, complex, or multi-entity organization.
• Experience supporting system implementations, integrations, acquisitions, and process improvement initiatives.
• Experience with payroll controls, audit support, compliance processes, reconciliations, and payroll tax issue resolution.