Sutherland - Lead - Payroll - HR Shares Services

Designation: Lead - HRSS

Functional Title: Payroll Operations & System Lead

Levels Covered: L3

Location: Chennai, India

Experience:

Job Description:

We are looking for a highly specialized Payroll Lead to oversee complex payroll operations, ensure meticulous statutory compliance, and manage the technical system configurations for a large-scale workforce. This role requires an expert balance of operational rigor, deep compliance knowledge, and leadership skills to drive process efficiency and team performance.

This role requires working in night shifts with rotational weekly offs and is based out of our Chennai office (work from office).

Key Responsibilities & Tool Command:

- Operational Oversight: Lead the daily and monthly payroll cycle operations, ensuring seamless and accurate execution for all employees across all relevant jurisdictions.

- System Configuration & Maintenance: Act as the technical/functional lead for core payroll software, overseeing system configuration, update testing, and managing complex integrations within

PeopleStrong and CHRONOS (ASYS).

- High-Volume Tool Mastery: Directly utilize and reconcile data from high-volume, multi-regional payroll systems, including ADP, Dimep, and UKG, ensuring consistency with core HRIS data.

- Compliance & Audit Management: Ensure absolute compliance with all global statutory requirements and lead all internal and external payroll audits, implementing necessary risk controls and

documentation.

- Process Excellence: Identify, document, and lead process simplification and control improvements within the payroll function to enhance speed and accuracy.

Qualifications:

- 5-8 years of extensive payroll management experience, with specific expertise in managing payroll systems and statutory compliance for India.

- Advanced operational and functional expertise in key payroll applications such as PeopleStrong and CHRONOS (ASYS).

- Master's degree in HR, Commerce, or Finance preferred; advanced compliance certification is an asset.

Competencies:

- Proven Leadership in Payroll Operations: Ability to manage a high-volume team, assign work, manage workflow, and drive accountability for error-free delivery.

- Strong Compliance & Audit Readiness Knowledge: Expert-level knowledge of global statutory payroll and tax requirements, capable of navigating and responding to complex regulatory changes.

- Clear Communication & Stakeholder Management: Ability to communicate complex payroll issues (e.g., tax implications) clearly to employees and management and manage vendor relationships effectively.

- System Integration Acumen: Strong technical understanding of how payroll data flows between the HRIS and the final payroll engine.

- Risk Mitigation: Proactive approach to identifying, documenting, and eliminating potential payroll process risks.