Payroll Team Lead

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW) is a global footwear and apparel company driven by a vision to Make. Every Day. Better. Founded in 1883, the Company builds and grows iconic brands including Merrell®, Saucony®, Wolverine®, Sweaty Betty®, Chaco®, Hush Puppies®, Stride Rite®, HYTEST®, and Bates®, along with footwear licenses for Cat® and Harley-Davidson®. Headquartered in Rockford, Michigan, the Company’s products are sold in approximately 170 countries and territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.wolverineworldwide.com.

In 2025, the Company was recognized by Footwear News as Company of the Year, by Forbes as one of America’s Dream Employers, America’s Best Employers for Women, and America’s Best Employers for Company Culture, and by Inspiring Workplaces as one of the Most Inspiring Workplaces Globally.

Wolverine Worldwide is a Certified™ Great Place To Work®.

We are looking to hire a talented Payroll Team Lead to the organisation.

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Payroll Team Lead provides leadership and operational oversight and direction for payroll delivery and operations across multiple locations, pay frequencies and workforce populations.

This role is responsible for payroll service delivery, compliance, team effectiveness, vendor management, and process performance, ensuring employees are paid accurately, on-time, and compliantly.

This person will act as a leader within the global payroll team and will directly lead a team of payroll team members who are responsible for payroll processing, funding, and reporting activities; either through in-house processing using Workday or in partnership with an outsourced third-party for international payrolls.

PRIMARY DUTIES

• Provides oversight of payroll operations and governance for assigned payrolls, including payroll calendars, service agreements, approvals, control execution and regulatory compliance; ensuring compliance with Company policies and all federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations.

• Acts as payroll owner for assigned populations by monitoring operational performance, identifying risks, and implementing corrective actions as needed to ensure payroll quality, compliance and delivery standards are met.

• Leads and oversees a group of payroll team members who are responsible for payroll administration and end-to-end processing activities.

• Sets clear priorities for payroll team members, monitors workload and performance, and provides coaching, training, and development to strengthen team effectiveness and deliver positive employee pay experience.

• Addresses escalated and complex payroll discrepancies or employee inquiries.

• Identifies, recommends and implements streamlined processes and best practices to improve efficiency and to optimize the use of technology in payroll workflows and scalability. 

• Initiates and consults in the development of payroll policies and procedures affected by legal regulations and guidelines.

• Partners with Finance, Treasury, Audit, and other stakeholders to ensure payroll controls, reconciliations, funding, and reporting requirements are met.

• Coordinates with and supports stakeholder and vendor relationships; monitoring service delivery and driving accountability to service expectations.

• Performs, supports, and reviews completion of quarterly and year-end reporting, SOX and audit requirements, reconciliations, tax forms and statutory filings.

• Nurtures and role-models a consistent culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and employee-centric service across the payroll function.

• Performs duties consistent with the company’s AAP/EEO goals and policies.

• Performs other duties as required/assigned by manager.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources or related field preferred.

• Progressive payroll experience, supervisory experience a plus.

• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, regulations, procedures and compliance requirements. Multi-State and/or International experience a plus.

• Proficiency with HRIS and Microsoft Office applications.

• Expert skill level in Excel

• Workday HCM or Payroll preferred

• Highly organized, analytical, and detail oriented.

• Shows up with passion and a positive make-it-happen attitude every day.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a customer service-oriented approach to payroll.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Normal office environment.  Some travel is required.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills which may be required.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills which may be required.

Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. is committed to creating a company that is as diverse as our consumers. We value the differences in one another and believe our differences make us stronger. Our diverse and inclusive corporate culture starts with the recruitment process. We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We aim to create equal opportunities for our associates, customers, and suppliers regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic.