Senior Manager Total Rewards & Payroll

ACCIONA is a global company, leading in the development of regenerative infrastructure that creates a positive impact on society. Our workforce consists of more than 65,000 professionals, present in more than 40 countries across the five continents, all contributing in our mission to design a better planet. Are you a passionate individual who wants to make a difference, promote sustainable development, and find solutions to the biggest global challenges including climate change, overpopulation, and water scarcity? Come and join us in building the infrastructure our planet needs to achieve a sustainable future.

Acciona offers a competitive salary, relocation assistance where relocation is required and approved, 401(k) retirement plan, medical, dental, vision, life, short and long-term disability benefits, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, and more. 

 

The Senior Manager, Total Rewards & Payroll – United States is responsible for leading the design, implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of Total Rewards and Payroll programs across the United States.

The role ensures that compensation, benefits, equity programs, and payroll practices are competitive, compliant, scalable, and aligned with ACCIONA’s global frameworks and U.S. business priorities. It combines strategic leadership with strong operational governance, supporting business growth, talent attraction, employee retention, organizational performance, and strategic business initiatives, including acquisitions, organizational integrations, and business transformations.

Based in Atlanta, the position works directly with local HR teams and business leaders while maintaining functional alignment with the Global Compensation & Benefits team based at ACCIONA’s headquarters in Madrid.

While the primary scope of the role is the United States, the position may also support selected Total Rewards initiatives in Canada, as business strategy and organizational needs evolve.

Total Rewards Strategy and Governance

• Lead the implementation and execution of Total Rewards programs across the United States, including base compensation, incentive plans, employee benefits, equity programs, payroll governance, and Total Rewards integration activities supporting business growth and organizational change.

• Ensure alignment with ACCIONA’s global Total Rewards philosophy while adapting programs to U.S. market practices, regulatory requirements, and business priorities.

• Develop and maintain clear policies, governance frameworks, controls, and decision-making standards.

• Contribute to the development and execution of the medium-term strategy for the function.

• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, automate, and continuously improve Total Rewards and Payroll processes, supporting organizational scalability and business integration initiatives.

Compensation

• Develop and maintain competitive and internally equitable salary structures and compensation frameworks.

• Lead the annual salary review process, including budget coordination, eligibility, governance, approvals, data validation, and implementation.

• Manage compensation processes and cycles within Workday, ensuring accurate configuration, workflow management, data integrity, and traceability.

• Oversee market benchmarking, job evaluation, organizational alignment, incentive plans, reward structures, and compensation harmonization activities associated with acquisitions, reorganizations, and business integrations.

• Provide data-driven recommendations to HR and business leaders regarding compensation decisions.

• Ensure consistent application of compensation policies across legal entities, projects, and business units.

Pay Transparency and Pay Equity

• Lead the company’s approach to pay transparency and ensure compliance with applicable state and local requirements.

• Coordinate pay equity reviews, identify potential gaps, and support the development of appropriate action plans.

• Embed fairness, consistency, and transparency into compensation structures, processes, and communications.

• Provide guidance to HR and managers on compliant compensation practices and salary range management.

Benefits Strategy and Governance

• Lead the design, implementation, governance, and ongoing review of U.S. employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), life insurance, disability, and wellbeing programs.

• Evaluate benefit plan structures, funding models, employee contribution strategies, and opportunities to optimize scale and cost efficiency.

• Lead annual renewals, plan changes, market reviews, and implementation activities.

• Monitor benefit costs, participation levels, claims experience, vendor performance, service quality, and employee value.

• Ensure compliance with applicable benefits regulations, including ACA, ERISA, controlled-group requirements, and reporting obligations.

• Oversee benefits administration, payments, cost allocation, controls, and audit processes.

• Partner with brokers and external advisors to support market analysis, negotiation, compliance, and implementation.

• Support the integration and harmonization of employee benefit programs during acquisitions, organizational restructures, and business transformation initiatives.

Equity and Variable Compensation

• Manage the U.S. implementation of global equity and share-based compensation programs.

• Oversee the full program lifecycle, including eligibility, grant allocation, vesting, performance conditions, leaver treatment, employee communication, administration, and reporting.

• Ensure alignment with global program requirements and applicable U.S. tax, securities, and regulatory obligations.

• Coordinate with Global Rewards, Legal, Finance, and Tax on equity-plan governance and execution.

Payroll Leadership and Governance

• Lead the U.S. payroll function, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across multiple states.

• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight of the payroll function, coordinating payroll resources across business units and legal entities to ensure consistent service delivery, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

• Establish and maintain payroll governance, internal controls, approval processes, compliance standards, and audit readiness.

• Oversee payroll operations, including tax compliance, regulatory reporting, reconciliations, and payroll-related controls, ensuring adherence to applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

• Lead the resolution of complex payroll matters, including multi-state taxation, expatriate payroll, mergers and acquisitions, organizational changes, and regulatory escalations.

• Partner with HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, and external payroll providers to ensure data integrity, operational efficiency, and business continuity.

• Develop payroll reporting, analytics, and governance metrics to support business decision-making, risk management, continuous improvement, and the integration of new entities, acquisitions, and organizational changes.

Global Mobility Support

• Provide Total Rewards support for international assignments and expatriate programs in the United States.

• Advice on expatriate- transfers compensation, allowances, benefits, payroll treatment, and cost management.

• Coordinate with HR, Tax, Legal, Global Mobility, and external advisors to support compliant and consistent assignment arrangements.

• Contribute to the review of mobility policies from a Total Rewards perspective.

• Support the monitoring and reporting of expatriate-related costs and compensation arrangements.

Analytics, Reporting and Systems

• Develop and maintain Total Rewards and Payroll dashboards, reports, and management insights.

• Monitor compensation competitiveness, benefit costs, payroll performance, pay equity, and program effectiveness.

• Ensure high-quality data across Workday, payroll systems, benefits platforms, and corporate reporting tools.

• Lead data validation, audits, reconciliations, and controls to ensure accuracy and traceability.

• Translate complex data into practical recommendations for HR and business leadership.

• Provide regular reporting on key risks, trends, costs, compliance matters, integration activities, and continuous improvement priorities.

Stakeholder and Vendor Management

• Work closely with local HR teams and business leaders to ensure Total Rewards programs support operational priorities, business growth, organizational changes, and strategic integration initiatives.

• Provide guidance and subject-matter expertise on complex compensation, benefits, payroll, and regulatory matters.

• Manage external brokers, payroll providers, consultants, and benefit vendors.

• Establish service expectations, monitor performance, and ensure vendors deliver appropriate quality, compliance, and value.

• Influence senior stakeholders through clear communication, sound judgment, and evidence-based recommendations.

People and Functional Leadership

• Lead, develop, and mentor Total Rewards and Payroll team members.

• Clarify roles, responsibilities, controls, and service-delivery expectations across the function.

• Build scalable processes and capabilities that support business growth and organizational complexity.

Key Areas of Accountability

• Compensation strategy and governance

• Pay transparency and pay equity

• U.S. benefits strategy and administration

• Equity and variable compensation programs

• Payroll leadership and governance

• Total Rewards analytics and reporting

• Regulatory compliance and risk management

• Vendor governance and service delivery

• Continuous improvement and process standardization

Core Competencies

• Total Rewards strategy and governance

• Compensation, Benefits & Payroll expertise

• U.S. regulatory and compliance knowledge

• Pay Transparency and Pay Equity

• Workday and HR technology

• Data analytics and business insight

• Strategic thinking and business acumen

• Stakeholder management and executive influence

• Leadership, coaching and team development

• Vendor management and negotiation

• Change management and continuous improvement

• Strong communication, collaboration and decision-making

• Significant experience leading Compensation, Benefits, Total Rewards, and Payroll programs in the United States.

• Proven experience managing multi-state payroll and complex regulatory requirements.

• Strong knowledge of U.S. compensation, benefits, pay transparency, pay equity, payroll, tax, and employment frameworks.

• Experience working in both multinational organizations and consulting or advisory environments is highly valued.

• Experience with Workday Compensation, payroll systems, benefits platforms, and data analytics.

• Strong ability to interpret data and translate findings into practical business recommendations.

• Proven ability to influence senior and executive stakeholders in a complex, matrixed organization.

• Experience managing external brokers, payroll providers, consultants, and vendors.

• Strong leadership, communication, and team-development capabilities.

• Business-oriented, pragmatic, collaborative, and results-driven approach.

• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, organizational integrations, and business transformation initiatives is highly valued.

ACCIONA has been given the Top Employer 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025 certification in US, as well as the Top Employers North America 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025 seal, which certifies the company's commitment to excellence in human resources management and those who focus on putting their people first through their exceptional HR policies. As a company that values diversity as a source of talent, we work to foster an inclusive environment that promotes respect, belonging and engagement so that all people can participate on an equal opportunity basis. We invite everyone to apply regardless of origin, circumstances, background or condition.