Senior Manager Payroll

 

When you join Sunrise Senior Living, you will be able to use your unique skills to empower residents to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Not only will you build meaningful relationships with residents, their families, and team members alike, you will also gain joy in serving others and deep fulfillment in your work. Explore how you can follow your passions and shed light on meaningful ways to serve, grow, and shine together.

 

Sunrise Senior Living was again certified as a Great Place to Work® by Activated Insights. This is the 9th time Sunrise has received this top culture and workplace designation, highlighting the special place Sunrise is to be a part of.

COMMUNITY NAME

Community Support Office

Job ID

2026-242427

JOB OVERVIEW

The Senior Manager Payroll oversees payroll processing function, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant payroll processing for U.S. and Canadian team members. The Senior Manager Payroll also partners closely with Human Resources (HR), Finance, third-party payroll vendors and executive leadership to align payroll operations with business objectives. Lastly, this role serves as the escalation point for complex payroll matters, ensuring effective risk management, strong internal controls and seamless team member experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS

 

 

Essential Duties

As a part of the Sunrise team, supporting our Mission, Principles of Service and Core Values is a fundamental part of this job. Our foundational belief is the sacred value of human life. The unique responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to the essential functions listed as follows:

• Utilize Workday expertise to oversee the payroll processing function, ensuring a proactive approach to payroll management across the U.S. and Canada
• Collaborate to develop and execute payroll strategies and initiatives to enhance efficiency and drive continuous improvement while also ensuring enterprise-wide compliance with all payroll-related laws, tax regulations, wage & hour laws and company policies
• Identify opportunities to enhance payroll efficiency, automation and accuracy by leveraging technology, standardizing procedures and implementing best practices
• Partner with Payroll leadership team and third party provider on payroll tax compliance efforts, ensuring accurate tax filings, deductions and reconciliations across multiple jurisdictions
• Oversee payroll audits, reconciliations and reporting to ensure data integrity and accuracy
• Conduct risk assessments and ensure strong internal controls, identifying areas for improvement in payroll processes, compliance and financial reporting
• Ensure payroll systems are optimized, maintained and integrated with HRIS and time-tracking systems, support system updates and improvements as needed
• Develop and manage relationships with payroll vendors and service providers, ensuring high-quality service delivery, adherence to SLAs and timely issue resolution
• Provide leadership with timely updates concerning new payroll policies, industry trends and regulatory changes to ensure Sunrise consistently follows industry best practices
• Partner with HR, Finance and Legal leadership teams to support cross-functional initiatives, mergers/acquisitions and policy implementations impacting payroll
• Maintain compliance in assigned required training and all training required by state/province or other regulating authorities as applicable to this role to ensure that Sunrise standards are always met
• Perform other duties as assigned

Core Competencies

• Proven Workday hands-on expertise that includes implementing initiatives to optimize Workday functionality and processes
• Demonstrated leadership in payroll operations, with the ability to develop and implement payroll optimization that aligns with business objectives
• Advanced knowledge of payroll systems, tax regulations, and compliance requirements for U.S. and Canadian payrolls, including multi-state/provincial complexities
• Proven ability to lead, mentor and develop a high-performing payroll team, fostering continuous learning and professional growth
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills to resolve complex payroll and compliance issues efficiently
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments (e.g., HR, Finance, etc.) and interact professionally with both external vendors and internal stakeholders
• Proven ability to identify opportunities for process optimization and automation within the payroll department to improve operational efficiency, reduce errors and enhance service delivery

Experience and Qualifications

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