Sr. Manager of Payroll

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This range is provided by CAVA. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

* This is a hybrid role and requires 3 days/week in our DC office.

At CAVA, we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good every day. We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage that’s been perfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritize authenticity, curiosity and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We are working towards something big, together.

• Generosity First, Always: We lead with kindness. Our best work happens when we act in service of others.
• Constant Curiosity: We are eager to learn, grow, and explore beyond the obvious.
• Act with Agility: We welcome change; it’s the only constant. We embrace, adjust, adapt.
• Passion for Positivity: We greet each day with warmth and possibility.
• Collective Ambition: We have high aspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose.

The Senior Manager of Payroll is responsible for leading and overseeing CAVA’s payroll operations to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant pay for all team members. This role provides strategic and operational oversight of payroll processes, systems, internal controls, and external third-party payroll processors, in alignment with SOX, public company, and regulatory requirements. The Senior Manager will partner cross-functionally with Operations, Accounting, Information Technology, and external vendors to enhance payroll processes, ensure regulatory compliance, and support a seamless team member pay experience at scale.

At CAVA, Senior Managers lead larger or more complex teams and contribute to operational and strategic outcomes. We look for leaders who elevate team performance, coach across complex environments, and partner across departments to lead through change and drive meaningful outcomes.

• Lead and oversee all payroll operations, including regular biweekly, weekly, and off-cycle payroll processing, across multiple states for 13,000+ employees.
• Oversee and manage the relationship with external third-party payroll processor
  , ensuring service-level agreements (SLAs), accuracy, timeliness, and compliance standards are met.
• Act as the primary escalation point for payroll vendor issues, discrepancies, and service gaps.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local laws and tax regulations, as well as SOX controls, internal control frameworks, and public company governance standards
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• Establish and maintain strong payroll governance, internal controls, and audit-ready processes, including audits and controls testing
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• Correspond with federal, state and local agencies as needed including registering for new tax withholding or state unemployment accounts
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• Partner with internal teams on compensation changes, benefits deductions, equity payouts, and employee lifecycle events
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• Collaborate with Accounting on payroll and tax reconciliations, accruals, and reporting
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• Lead payroll systems management, integrations, data integrity, and change management, including coordination with external providers and evaluation of new vendors and systems
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• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to optimize vendor performance, streamline processes, and enhance scalability and employee experience
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• Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing payroll team
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• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8–10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including people leadership and vendor management in a public company or SOX-regulated environment
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• Demonstrated experience managing outsourced or co-sourced payroll models
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• Strong understanding of SOX, internal controls, audit processes, and financial close requirements
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• Deep knowledge of payroll regulations, tax compliance, and labor laws
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• Experience with multi-state payroll operations, preferably in the restaurant industry
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• Experience with leading…