Group Manager - US Payroll - Vikhroli

WNS, part of Capgemini, is an Agentic AI-powered leader in intelligent operations and transformation, serving more than 700 clients across 10 industries, including Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Insurance, Shipping and Logistics, and Travel and Hospitality. We bring together deep domain excellence – WNS’ core differentiator – with AI-powered platforms and analytics to help businesses innovate, scale, adapt and build resilience in a world defined by disruption.Our purpose is clear: to enable lasting business value by designing intelligent, human-led solutions that deliver sustainable outcomes and a differentiated impact. With three global headquarters across four continents, operations in 13 countries, 65 delivery centers and more than 66,000 employees, WNS combines scale, expertise and execution to create meaningful, measurable impact.

The Group Manager – USA Payroll Processing is responsible for leading end-to-end U.S. payroll operations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple legal entities, states, and pay groups. This role provides strategic leadership to payroll teams, drives operational excellence, ensures adherence to federal, state, and local payroll regulations, and partners with HR, Finance, Tax, Benefits, and external vendors to deliver best-in-class payroll services.

Key Responsibilities:

Payroll Operations

• Lead end-to-end U.S. payroll processing for weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly payroll cycles.
• Ensure payroll accuracy, completeness, and timely execution while meeting all service level agreements (SLAs).
• Manage complex payroll scenarios including off-cycle payrolls, bonuses, commissions, stock transactions, expatriate payrolls, and final settlements.
• Oversee payroll reconciliations, payroll funding, and post-payroll validation activities.
• Ensure payroll data integrity through regular audits and controls.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all U.S. federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Manage payroll tax compliance, wage garnishments, child support orders, levies, and benefit deductions.
• Support SOX compliance and internal/external payroll audits.
• Maintain payroll documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and process controls.
• Identify and mitigate payroll risks through proactive monitoring and governance.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop payroll managers, team leads, and payroll specialists.
• Drive employee engagement, succession planning, and talent development.
• Conduct performance reviews and establish individual development plans.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer service excellence.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner with HR, Finance, Tax, Compensation & Benefits, IT, and Legal teams.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex payroll issues.
• Build strong relationships with payroll vendors and third-party service providers.
• Present payroll metrics, operational performance, and risk updates to senior leadership.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities for process automation and operational efficiencies.
• Lead payroll transformation initiatives and system enhancements.
• Utilize continuous improvement methodologies to streamline operations.
• Drive standardization across payroll processes.

Reporting & Analytics

• Monitor payroll KPIs, SLAs, accuracy, and productivity metrics.
• Prepare management dashboards and executive reports.
• Analyze payroll trends and recommend process improvements.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and workforce planning activities.

Systems & Technology

• Manage payroll systems such as ADP or SAP Payroll.
• Collaborate with IT teams on payroll system upgrades, testing, and implementations.
• Ensure payroll system configurations support business and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. payroll regulations, federal and state tax requirements, wage and hour laws, and payroll compliance.
• Experience managing large, multi-state payroll operations.
• Strong experience with payroll systems such as ADP workforce now.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (Pivot Tables, Power Query, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Power Pivot, dashboards).
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and leadership capabilities.

Key Competencies

• U.S. Payroll Compliance
• Payroll Tax & Garnishments
• Payroll Operations Management
• Team Leadership & People Development
• Stakeholder Management
• Process Improvement & Automation
• Risk & Controls
• Vendor Management
• Payroll Analytics & Reporting
• Customer Service Excellence
• Project & Change Management
• Continuous Improvement

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Payroll accuracy ≥ 99.99%
• On-time payroll delivery (100%)
• SLA adherence
• Compliance and audit results
• Payroll query resolution turnaround time
• Productivity and process efficiency improvements
• Employee and stakeholder satisfaction
• Team engagement and retention
• Automation and continuous improvement initiatives delivered