Sr. Payroll Tax and Governance Manager

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. (MHIA) is looking for a Customer Success – Sr. Payroll Tax & Governance Manager to join our team. This is an onsite role based out of our Houston-TX Headquarters

ABOUT MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AMERICA, INC. (MHIA):

For over 130 years Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group’s innovative and integrated solutions have demonstrated our commitment to creating a positive social impact around the globe. Our range of products and services are tailored to meet our customers’ evolving needs across the commercial aviation, energy, transportation and infrastructure, machinery, defense and space systems sectors.

Our culture embraces diversity and cooperation, and we promote a healthy balance of professional and personal development, ensuring that your ideas and expertise are valued and respected.

SCOPE:

The Senior Manager, Payroll Tax & Governance – Customer Success serves as MHIA’s internal authority on payroll tax compliance, payroll system governance, and operational integrity across MHIA and its affiliates. This role ensures payroll configuration, tax reporting, and payroll system changes are governed through structured controls that protect the organization from operational, financial, and regulatory risk. This leader represents MHIA Payroll in interactions with affiliates and the payroll vendor, ensuring clear communication, accountability, transparency, and operational stability. The role requires deep payroll tax expertise, strong knowledge of payroll systems, and sound judgment to manage complex payroll matters while keeping leadership appropriately informed of material risks and impacts. This position serves as the escalation point for complex payroll, tax, governance, and vendor-related matters across MHIA and its affiliates.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of ten (10) years of payroll experience, including significant payroll tax expertise.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead all payroll related functions as the internal subject matter expert on federal, multi-state, and local payroll tax regulations, ensuring accurate tax calculations, reporting, and compliance, and maintaining the ability to independently calculate and validate payroll tax scenarios to confirm system and vendor outputs are correct.
• Oversee quarterly and year-end payroll tax activities, including W-2, W-2C, T4S and related reporting.
• Monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely implementation across payroll operations.
• Establish and maintain payroll governance controls that ensure accuracy, compliance, and strong internal controls across payroll operations.
• Conduct payroll risk assessments and lead root-cause analysis when payroll issues occur.
• Ensure payroll operations align with internal control standards and audit expectations
• Maintain advanced expertise in enterprise payroll systems (UKG Pro, SAP, Workday, ADP, or similar).
• Work with HRIS and Benefits and provide guidance on expected outcomes regarding configuration of payroll tax categories, earnings, and deduction codes, and system integrations.
• Investigate payroll discrepancies and ensure payroll system design supports compliance, reporting accuracy, and operational stability Ensure payroll system design supports compliance, reporting accuracy, and operational stability.
• Establish and manage payroll change management and change control processes for payroll system updates, tax configuration changes, and vendor system updates.
• Ensure payroll changes are properly evaluated, tested, approved, and documented prior to implementation to protect payroll accuracy and compliance.
• Manage the payroll vendor relationship (e.g., UKG) to ensure service quality, accountability, and contractual performance.
• Serve as the escalation point between MHIA, affiliates, and the payroll vendor to resolve payroll issues and system discrepancies.
• Serve as the senior payroll advisor to affiliates on complex payroll and tax matters.
• Communicate payroll impacts, compliance considerations, and issue resolution clearly while representing MHIA Payroll with professionalism and executive presence.
• Oversee US and Canadian expatriate payroll processes to ensure compliance with international payroll and tax reporting requirements.
• Coordinate with HR, tax advisors, and payroll vendors to support accurate reporting and tax equalization where applicable.
• Lead and develop a payroll team of two Senior Analysts responsible for payroll support and tax processing.
• Establish quality controls and promote a culture of communication, accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across payroll operations.
• This list of responsibilities is not all-inclusive, and an employee may be required to perform other relevant duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Experience: Minimum of ten (10) years of payroll experience, including significant payroll tax expertise.
• 7+ years focused on payroll tax compliance and regulatory oversight.
• 5+ years of payroll leadership experience.
• Deep knowledge of federal, multi-state, and local payroll tax regulations.
• Experience working with enterprise payroll systems (UKG, SAP, Workday, ADP, or similar).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and reconciliation skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Understand various HR disciplines and their role and impact on business concerning payroll, benefits, taxation, accounting, employment documentation, and general HR practices.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation or ability to obtain within 12 months
• Experience with Human Resource software is preferred (SAP SuccessFactors EC is a plus).
• Experience with Paylocity, ADP, and UKG
• Canadian Payroll Experience
• Project Management experience.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Travel %:
• Standard Monday through Friday work week. Weekend/late night work if applicable: %
• Lifting/physical requirements: Regularly required to sit for long periods, stand, walk, talk and/or hear Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds

Why Should You Apply?

• Excellent Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision & 401K Matching)
• Excellent growth and advancement opportunities
• Paid vacation, sick time and 15 holidays
• Committed to quality products and services.
• Great working environment and culture

MHIA is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer actively seeking to diversify the workforce and is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. Therefore, all qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

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