Payroll Settlement & Tax Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Overview

Group 1 Automotive is seeking a Payroll Settlement and Tax Manager to lead payroll tax compliance, payroll settlement, garnishment administration, and post-payroll processing for a high-volume, multi-state, multi-entity organization. This leader manages the Payroll Settlement and Tax team and is accountable for accurate and timely reconciliation, reporting, funding, remittance, and regulatory compliance.

The manager serves as the subject matter expert for federal, state, and local payroll taxes, settlement processes, involuntary wage withholdings, and year-end reporting. The role works with Payroll Operations, HRIS, Accounting, Treasury, Legal, external vendors, government agencies, and field leaders to resolve complex issues, support acquisitions and dispositions, improve controls, and communicate tax changes and jurisdiction matters that affect planning and operations.

Responsibilities

Payroll Tax Compliance & Agency Management

• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for federal, state, and local payroll tax matters and provide strategic direction and guidance to the payroll function and organization.
• Oversee end-to-end payroll tax lifecycle including federal, state, and local tax filing accuracy, amendments, corrected returns, and month-end, quarter-end, and year-end processing.
• Direct resolution of federal, state, and local tax notices, agency correspondence, discrepancies, fines, penalties, and abatement requests.
• Validate accuracy of multi-state employment tax setups, tax allocations, jurisdictional determinations, and employee mobility (transfers, remote/field workers, store changes).
• Maintain and apply expertise in complex federal tax requirements (FICA, federal income tax withholding, FUTA), state employment tax regulations, and local tax obligations.
• Partners with Payroll Processing, Accounting, HRIS, Treasury, Legal, and external tax professionals to maintain strong internal controls and mitigate compliance risks.

Payroll Settlement & Reconciliation

• Lead and oversee payroll settlement activities, including reconciliation of payroll tax liabilities, funding activities, and settlement reports across all operating entities.
• Ensure timely and accurate reconciliation of payroll settlement reports to internal financial systems and accounting records.
• Perform detailed audits of settlement processes to identify discrepancies, root causes, and corrective actions.
• Review and approve payroll tax reconciliations, quarterly and annual filings, funding requests, and settlement reports.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop the payroll settlement and tax team, including the Assistant Payroll Manager, responsible for tax processing, case intake, employee inquiries, and daily operational activities.
• Set performance expectations, monitor service level agreements, and coach staff to ensure accurate and timely support.
• Provide training and development to build payroll tax expertise, settlement process knowledge, and case-handling proficiency.
• Conduct performance management, talent development, succession planning, and capacity planning within the payroll function.

Involuntary Wage Withholdings & Garnishment Management

• Manage and oversee all involuntary deduction programs (garnishments, levies, child support, bankruptcies), ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Ensure proper withholding, timely remittance, and accurate record-keeping of all involuntary deductions.
• Oversee escalations involving missed deductions, over-deductions, late remittances, or agency compliance risks.
• Resolve complex garnishment situations including multi-jurisdiction orders, bankruptcy cases, and federal tax levies.

Payroll Funding & Financial Controls

• Oversee payroll funding processes including wires, ACHs, direct deposits, and tax payment processing across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
• Ensure funding files and tax liability calculations align with internal financial systems, Workday configurations, and month-end closing processes.
• Partner with Treasury and Accounting on reconciliation, audit support, internal controls, and cash control procedures related to payroll tax payments.

Vendor Oversight & Governance

• Serve as the primary operational leader for day-to-day interactions with OneSource Virtual (OSV) and/or other third-party payroll settlement and tax vendors.
• Lead regular vendor performance reviews; invoice management, contract renewal and adherence, monitor SLA, case aging, and trends; drive corrective actions.
• Manage escalations and resolve complex vendor-related issues while maintaining full visibility into active cases.
• Establish and enforce Workday governance, intake processes, documentation standards, and change-control requirements.

Operations, Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Manage payroll ticketing and case management systems, ensuring accurate categorization, timely triage, and issue resolution.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and analytics to track tax aging, defects, case volume, vendor performance, settlement variances, and operational metrics.
• Identify operational gaps, implement process improvements, and establish controls to reduce errors and strengthen compliance.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve Workday processes, data integrity, payroll accuracy, and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• At least 6 years of high-volume, multi-state, multi-entity employment tax, payroll settlement, and related payroll tax experience, including at least two years in a leadership or management role.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field strongly preferred; equivalent professional experience of at least six years may be considered.
• Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations, filing requirements, and compliance obligations.
• Strong knowledge of multi-state payroll tax, involuntary wage withholding, payroll settlement, and related control requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to research, investigate, and resolve complex payroll tax, settlement, funding, and reconciliation issues.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to perform complex multi-year calculations, reconcile differences across systems, and interpret time-collection and payroll data.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup functions, formulas, sorting, and conditional formatting for large datasets.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, including correspondence, reports, document review, and presentations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues to employees, business leaders, vendors, and government agencies.
• Strong attention to detail, sound judgment, and consistent handling of confidential and sensitive information.
• Demonstrated coaching and mentoring skills that support knowledge transfer, employee development, and team performance.
• Payroll certification such as Fundamental Payroll Certification or Certified Payroll Professional is a strong plus.
• Workday payroll tax administration experience preferred.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Above Average Verbal Communication (Heavy Public Contact).
• Exceptional Verbal (Public Speaking).
• Writing / Correspondence.
• Writing / Reports.

PROFICIENCIES

• MS Excel — Pivots, LOOKUPs, formulas, sorting, and conditional formatting on mass data files (Intermediate–Advanced)
• MS Word — Frequent drafting, proofing, redlining, and mail merges (Intermediate)
• Personal Computer — Fluid use of PC and MS Office products; able to work with dual monitors (Intermediate)
• Typing — 45+ words per minute; fast and accurate

JOB ATTRIBUTES - KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES

• Analytical Abilities — Strong analytical skills; able to perform complex calculations spanning multiple years and provide analytical support to leadership
• Mathematics — Able to perform complex, multi-year wage and hour calculations
• Research Knowledge and Abilities — Ability to root-cause problems and identify system issues
• Statistical Knowledge and Abilities — Ability to reconcile variances between differing subsystems and interpret analytical data points related to time-collection transactional data
• Mentoring and Coaching – Provides subject matter expertise and mentorship to team members, fostering knowledge transfer, skill development, and continuous learning to strengthen team performance and operational effectiveness.