Payroll Director

Veolia in North America is the top‑ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country’s largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery.

Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.

Position

Purpose:

The Payroll Director leads and manages the payroll function at Veolia North America by strategically planning, directing, and coordinating all departmental activities to provide exceptional service levels to employees and departments across the company. The Director will oversee the payroll operations for a workforce of approximately 10,000 employees across multiple states in the United States and Caribbean within a highly unionized environment.

This role will be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing, compliance with federal and state regulations, and the effective use of the Workday payroll system.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for payroll operations that aligns with Veolia North America's organizational goals while maintaining operational excellence.
• Oversee payroll operations in a multi-state environment for unionized and non-unionized workforce, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as collective bargaining agreements.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, and other departments to ensure seamless integration of payroll processes with other business functions.
• Drive process improvements and automation initiatives within Workday to enhance efficiency and maximize value.
• Proven ability to lead teams and collaborate with senior leadership.
• Lead and contribute to special projects including changes in corporate structure, upgrades, new acquisitions, implementations, standardizations of policies and procedures, policy changes, corporate wide programs, etc.
• Lead, develop, and manage a team of payroll professionals, including training, mentoring, reviewing and assigning workloads, assuring quality control for processes, conducting performance reviews for direct reports, and resolving any issues that may arise.
• Prepare and analyze payroll reports, metrics, and trends to inform decision-making and strategic planning.
• Ensure timely resolution of payroll-related inquiries and issues from employees and management.
• Stay current on payroll legislation and industry trends to ensure compliance and best practices.
• Oversee and prepare year-end processes, including W-2 preparation and distribution and all year-start processes and responsibilities.
• Ensure integrity of payroll data, participate in audits and ensure all payroll records are maintained accurately and securely.
• Lead payroll tax strategy, including planning, filing, reporting, and reconciliation across multiple jurisdictions.
• Proven ability to lead teams and collaborate with senior leadership.
• Perform other duties assigned.
• Hybrid office environment based on activities and company policies.

Education/Experience/Background:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of payroll management experience, preferably in a large, multi-state, unionized environment.
• Strong experience in a unionized environment is mandatory in a large organization (min, 5000+ employees).

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of payroll regulations, tax laws, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with Workday Payroll, Time and Absence or similar payroll systems is highly preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Excellent knowledge of Google Sheets /…