Financial Consulting Manager - Payroll Services

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Consulting Manager – Payroll Services 

Payroll Transformation Team 

Position Summary 

The Consulting Manager – Payroll Services leads client engagements that assess, transition, and optimize payroll operations for Clients looking to transform their internal payroll operations or to prepare for an outsourcing service delivery model. This role serves as a trusted advisor to organizations to establish compliant, efficient, and scalable payroll service delivery across multi-state and complex environments. 

The manager oversees payroll assessments, operating model design, transition and implementation activities—bridging consulting strategy with operational execution. This position plays a critical role in delivering measurable value, strengthening client relationships, and advancing the growth of the managed payroll practice. 

Key Responsibilities 

Managed Payroll Advisory & Assessment 

• Lead comprehensive payroll operational assessments spanning governance, compliance, controls, technology, vendor landscape, and service delivery maturity. 

• Identify risks, inefficiencies, and cost drivers; develop actionable optimization roadmaps, to include outsource readiness. 

• Define future-state payroll operating models, including roles/responsibilities, SLAs, KPIs, and escalation frameworks. 

• Present recommendations and business case outcomes to executive stakeholders. 

Process Optimization & Service Delivery Excellence 

• Standardize payroll processes, controls, and documentation across managed clients. 

• Establish operational metrics, quality assurance frameworks, and continuous improvement routines. 

• Drive automation, error reduction, cycle-time improvement, and employee experience enhancements. 

• Support remediation of complex payroll issues, audits, and compliance inquiries. 

Engagement & Program Management 

• Manage multiple client engagements across scope, budget, timeline, and resource allocation. 

• Lead cross-functional coordination among payroll operations, HR, finance, IT, and third-party vendors. 

• Maintain governance cadence including status reporting, risk management, and executive steering updates. 

• Ensure adherence to PMO, change management, and managed services transition methodologies. 

Practice Development 

• Serve as primary relationship lead during assessment, transition, and stabilization phases. 

• Build trusted advisor relationships with managed payroll onboarding team. 

• Mentor consultants and analysts; review deliverables for quality and c