Payroll Manager Cox Farms

About Cox Farms

Cox Farms which operates throughout North America is part of the Cox Enterprises family of businesses and a pioneering leader in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry. Backed by Cox Enterprises long-standing commitment to building stronger businesses and a better world Cox Farms is dedicated to revolutionizing food production through sustainable and innovative technology. Our cutting-edge facilities leverage advanced agronomic production and greenhouse systems to deliver fresh high-quality produce to consumers year-roundminimizing environmental impact while maximizing resource efficiency.

Role Purpose

The Manager Payroll owns payroll operations across North America leading a team and operating with a high degree of independence. This role is accountable for payroll accuracy compliance team performance and continuous improvement across Cox Farms. Success requires sound judgment proactive communication and the ability to drive the function forward without being managed to outcomes. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader that serves as a payroll expert with deep knowledge of regional payroll regulations tax compliance and team leadership.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Payroll Execution:

• Own end-to-end payroll processing across North America and is accountable for accuracy timeliness and compliance
• Serve as the organizations payroll subject matter expert providing guidance on tax rules garnishments statutory deductions and year-end filings (i.e. W-2 T4 RL-1)
• Identify and resolve discrepancies independently and with urgency; communicate resolutions in a timely manner with a customer-service approach
• Own the payroll systems and vendor relationship across North America including report configuration testing and troubleshooting
• Partner with Finance HR and external vendors to ensure seamless payroll integration and data integrity

Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead mentor and develop a high-performing payroll team fostering a culture of accountability collaboration and continuous improvement
• Set clear performance goals and provide regular feedback and coaching to team members
• Promote cross-training and knowledge sharing to build team resilience and adaptability
• Identify and implement process enhancements to improve payroll accuracy efficiency and employee experience
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure operational excellence
• Apply performance standards peer-review practices and escalation paths for Payroll teams
• Develop and maintain Payroll policies and processes including but not limited to policies on time off sick leave and error correction
• Partner with HR/Employee Relations on all formal performance-related conversations coaching plans and documentation
• Track commitments made to the team (assignments follow-ups open issues) and close the loop timely and reliably

Process Improvement & Compliance:

• Leverage technology and automation to streamline payroll operations and reporting
• Ensure compliance with all payroll-related audits filings and remittances (e.g. IRS CRA state/provincial agencies)
• Lead internal controls and risk mitigation strategies related to payroll and tax compliance
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll legislation tax laws and regulatory changes
• Independently drive continuous improvement of payroll processes by identifying inefficiencies and implementing solutions
• Monitor regulatory changes across North America and implement required updates proactively
• Manage audits tax filings and government remittances; maintain compliance with internal controls and data privacy requirements
• Build scalable processes that support business expansion without degradation in accuracy or compliance
• Lead payroll readiness for organizational changes (M&A new provinces/states headcount growth)

Stakeholder Communication:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll-related inquiries and escalations
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to support business initiatives workforce changes and compliance requirements
• Provide strategic insights and reports to senior leadership on payroll trends risks and opportunities
• Communicate payroll matters to the Head of Total Rewards and other stakeholders clearly and proactively
• Produce all written communication including emails reports policy documentation and correspondence with employees vendors and government agencies at a professional polished standard appropriate to a management-level role free of grammatical and structural errors
• Produce accurate payroll reporting and analysis that supports business continuity needs

Qualifications

Required:

• 5-7 years of experience in payroll operations with demonstrated expertise in US and Canadian payroll
• 3 years leading or managing a payroll team with direct accountability for results
• Strong knowledge of multi-state/province tax rules garnishments statutory deductions and year-end requirements
• Familiarity with ADP Workday Payroll or comparable enterprise payroll systems
• Proven ability to manage payroll independently identifying and resolving issues without escalation
• Demonstrated experience coaching mentoring and building strong working relationships with direct reports including managing performance issues in partnership with HR
• Clear concise and professional written and verbal communication skills across all levels of the organization; correspondence reports and documentation are well-structured and error-free without requiring editing support
• Hands-on proficiency running and building reports independently

Preferred:

• 10 Experience managing multi-state and multi-province payroll within a single payroll cycle
• Experience working with ADP Workday Payroll or comparable enterprise payroll systems
• Experience building SOPs and internal controls in a growing organization