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Cornerstone OnDemand

Senior Manager, Payroll

🇺🇸 Remote - US

🕑 Full-Time

💰 $115K - $185K

💻 Finance

🗓️ September 22nd, 2025

Tableau

Edtech.com's Summary

Cornerstone is hiring a Senior Manager, Payroll to lead and optimize its global payroll operations across 25 countries. This role manages payroll processes, ensures compliance with payroll laws, collaborates with international teams, and develops payroll strategy and team talent to support a 3500+ employee organization.

Highlights
  • Lead global payroll strategy and oversee payroll processing for over 3500 employees across multiple continents.
  • Ensure accurate, timely payroll processing and resolve payroll issues efficiently.
  • Develop relationships with country payroll providers and recommend payroll strategy improvements.
  • Create payroll operational and financial reports and analyze workforce management data.
  • Design and implement payroll workflows and internal controls ensuring compliance with international and local laws.
  • Manage payroll-related financial closing activities, audits, and regulatory filings.
  • Lead, coach, and develop payroll team members, fostering leadership growth and expertise.
  • Required experience includes 15+ years in payroll, with 8+ years overseeing multi-country payroll and 4+ years managing teams.
  • Technical knowledge of payroll systems such as Oracle, CSX (Galaxy), Tableau, and experience with outsourced payroll vendors like ADP and activpayroll.
  • Compensation range is $115,400 to $184,600 annually, with additional bonuses and benefits.

Senior Manager, Payroll Full Description

Senior Manager, Payroll

Remote, United States

We're looking for a

Senior Manager, Payroll

This role is Remote, United States

The Senior Manager for the global payroll organization will bring vast payroll expertise to our International Payroll operations spanning 25 countries. This role will be responsible for overseeing the global payroll processes for the Company across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Asia and India. They will partner and collaborate with functions across the organization to deliver payroll services that optimize operational excellence and create a deeper bench of experienced talent within the payroll team. Reporting to the head of the People Team Shared Services organization, they will oversee current staff located across the globe. This leader will be a key in developing and implementing strategies to scale the payroll operations and related systems while maintaining quality and accuracy.

In this role you will:
Major Areas of Accountability 
  • Lead and create a global payroll strategy for a 3500+ employee organization
  • Oversee all processes within the global payroll processes to ensure payroll is processed accurately and on time, and all payroll issues are resolved timely 
  • Support proper recording of payroll-related transactions in the accounting system
  • Develop and build relationships with country payroll providers to make recommendations for future strategies 
  • Create, oversee, and share payroll reports, of both operational and financial in nature; Find ways to add value with analysis and reporting on workforce management 
  • Design and implement workflows and internal controls within systems to ensure all payroll transactions are processed accurately, timely and in compliance with international, federal, state, local and country specific laws and regulations
  • Participate in the design and implementation of internal controls and documentation
  • Coordinate closely with People Team Centers of Excellence (COEs) to ensure that benefits and other withholdings are reflected accurately in payroll records 
  • Support enhancements to the system of record (Galaxy) and payroll systems, including planning to for scale through mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity 
  • Ensure tax and regulatory compliance related to workers compensation and tax withholdings
  • Lead, coach, mentor and train the team; take an active interest in their growth and develop the next generation of leaders 
  • Develop a team of subject matter experts to be points of contact for all internal and external payroll inquiries; manage employee queries utilizing a ticketing system
  • Manage payroll related financial closing activities for the month/quarter/year-end as well as external audits
  • Monitor the latest payroll and wage laws and regulations to ensure tax and benefits compliance is maintained within systems
  • Ensure quarterly and annual filings and reporting requirements execute with accuracy and are filed timely, including 401k audit, in partnership with Total Rewards and Accounting teams
  • Lead or assist on special tasks and projects as needed (e.g., external/statutory/ compliance audits and filings, entity set up, system implementation, etc.) 
  • Actively engage and collaborate with cross functional teams and leadership to ensure business objectives and priorities are met and executed effectively

Knowledge & Skills
  • Highly analytical in nature and an aptitude for quantitative and qualitative analysis 
  • Demonstrated ability to make recommendations and influence outcomes 
  • Excellent team building and leadership skills with a focus on continual development, performance, accountability, and self-motivation 
  • Strong negotiation and communication skills; experience in effectively communicating key data including presentations to senior management 
  • Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal skills and the ability to interact positively with cross-functional stakeholders at all levels in the organization
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail 
  • Demonstrates professionalism and maturity in handling confidential information 
  • Demonstrated ability to define problems, establish alternatives, and determine the optimal course of action in the context of broader business strategies and objectives
  • Work well under pressure, prioritize, meet deadlines, drive projects to completion, and manage the results

You’ve got what it takes if you have:
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting, finance, business, or other relevant or related field or equivalent experience;
  • 8+ years of progressive experience overseeing the processing of multi-country payrolls for a large exempt employee population with a minimum of 15 years overall experience in a payroll organization
  • Minimum of 4 years of experience leading and managing teams 
  • Experience with outsourced payroll compliance vendors (e.g., ADP, activpayroll) and selection/administration required 
  • Experience with Oracle, CSX (Galaxy), and Tableau a plus 
  • Experience transforming a payroll function to maximize automation, scalability, and cost effectiveness, building new capabilities and process optimization 
  • Preferred to have a membership in recognized Payroll Professional body 
  • Ability to handle sensitive and complex situations with sound judgment, tact, and discretion
  • Ability to work with geographically dispersed teams
  • Ability to work independently

An extra dose of awesome for…
  • Master’s degree related to accounting/finance or equivalent

Our Culture:
Spark Greatness. Shatter Boundaries. Share Success. Are you ready? Because here, right now – is where the future of work is happening. Where curious disruptors and change innovators like you are helping communities and customers enable everyone – anywhere – to learn, grow and advance. To be better tomorrow than they are today.  

Who We Are:
Cornerstone powers the potential of organizations and their people to thrive in a changing world. Cornerstone Galaxy, the complete AI-powered workforce agility platform, meets organizations where they are. With Galaxy, organizations can identify skills gaps and development opportunities, retain and engage top talent, and provide multimodal learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of the modern workforce. More than 7,000 organizations and 100 million+ users in 180+ countries and in nearly 50 languages use Cornerstone Galaxy to build high-performing, future-ready organizations and people today.

Total Rewards:
At Cornerstone, we are dedicated to inspiring excellence and pushing boundaries in everything we do. Our compensation strategy is based on three fundamental principles: equitable pay, market-driven research, and skill-based appraisals. As part of our mission to share success and empower individuals to thrive in an ever-changing world, the listed salary range is just one element of Cornerstone’s comprehensive compensation package. This compensation package may also include annual bonuses, short- and program-specific awards depending on the role, and a comprehensive benefit offering. The disclosed salary range reflects the geographic differential based on the location of the position if applicable. The starting salary for the successful applicant will depend on several job-related factors, including education, training, experience, certifications, location, business needs, and market demands. This range is based on a full-time position and may be adjusted in the future. Join us in shaping the future of work — tomorrow, together. Experience flexibility and empowerment in your career at Cornerstone. The BASE salary range for this position is: 115400 - 184600 USD.

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Equal Employment Opportunity has been, and will continue to be, a fundamental commitment at Cornerstone OnDemand. All qualified applicants are given consideration regardless of race, religion, color, gender, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class as provided in applicable Federal, State, or Local fair employment laws. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at careers@csod.com or +1 855 454 8433.

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