Our story At Alight, we believe a company's success starts with its people. At our core, we Champion People, help our colleagues Grow with Purpose and true to our name we encourage colleagues to "Be Alight." Our Values: Champion People - be empathetic and help create a place where everyone belongs. Grow with purpose - Be inspired by our higher calling of improving lives. Be Alight - act with integrity, be real and empower others. It's why we're so driven to connect passion with purpose. Our team's expertise in human insights and cloud technology gives companies and employees around the world the ability to power confident decisions, for life. With a comprehensive total rewards package, continuing education and training, and tremendous potential with a growing global organization, Alight is the perfect place to put your passion to work. Join our team if you Champion People, want to Grow with Purpose through acting with integrity and if you embody the meaning of Be Alight. Learn more at careers.alight.com. The North America Payroll Lead is responsible for providing operational, managerial, and strategic direction for the internal payroll function for the US and Canada.This role oversees the payroll processing, tax reporting, audits, and vendor management for circa 2,000 employees. The role provides critical leadership to develop and control payroll policies and procedures to drive operational excellence. The Payroll Lead will cultivate strong partnerships with Alight's HR and Financial Services team (the vendor) to drive accurate results, in compliance with local, state, provincial, and federal regulations. The Payroll Lead is a key business partner to Finance, Compensation and Benefits, and Human Resources, leading and/or supporting projects to address the Company's business needs and achieve company goals. Responsibilities Direct and manage payroll process to ensure accurate and timely delivery of bi-weekly and semi-monthly payrolls. Direct and manage internal and external payroll process to ensure accurate and timely execution of end-to-end payroll processes. Provide direction and decision-making to the company's outsourced payroll services functions. Provide Payroll expertise and consulting to other areas of HR and internal stakeholders. Work with the Company's outsourced payroll service provider in developing and implementing new employee HR/Payroll offerings as appropriate. Engage as the payroll functional bridge amongst vendors and internal stakeholders. Engage and collaborate with internal HR payroll services provider to establish and formulate workflow processes. Primary escalation point for Payroll processes and inquiries. Maintain payroll guidelines by creating and updating policies and procedures. Proactively identify issues and trends impacting payroll and work with internal and outsourced payroll teams to improve delivery and resolve all discrepancies. Communicate with colleagues and management regarding any issues or changes impacting payroll. Lead or participate in payroll related projects/initiatives. Consult with Legal, Corporate Tax, and Shared Services groups to ensure compliance with regulatory and company policies. Requirements Minimum of 7 years of payroll experience, preferably in a multi-state Payroll, including Canada. Minimum of 3 years of payroll management experience. Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation preferred. Strong knowledge of US and Canada payroll laws, regulations, and best practices. Proficient in payroll systems, preferably Workday. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills. Ability to drive results. High attention to detail, accuracy, and quality. Strong organizational skills and ability to work under pressure. Ability to analyse data, identify issues, and provide solutions. Ability to