Payroll lead

We can't wait to share our passion for aviation with you! Join a team that works hard, cares for each other and offers plenty of opportunities to grow.

At Piedmont Airlines, our strength is the way we deliver industry-leading service to our customers and airline partners. To continue our standard of excellence, Piedmont is seeking a motivated, reliable leader to join our team as a Payroll Lead. This role combines responsibilities from payroll processing, onboarding coordination, and payroll data/reporting analytics. The Payroll Lead ensures accurate and timely payroll execution, oversees employee lifecycle payroll impacts, and leverages advanced reporting tools for compliance and strategic insights. This role serves as the functional subject matter expert (SME) for Workday Human Resources Information System (HRIS) and reporting. The successful candidate will have an Associate degree with four years of payroll experience. This position reports directly to the Manager, Payroll.

Essential Duties:

• Lead daily payroll operations, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing for multi-state employees, including compliance with Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA)

• Serve as the functional SME for Workday HRIS, providing expert guidance on troubleshooting, system enhancements, and payroll functionality optimization

• Oversee onboarding and offboarding payroll activities, ensuring accurate setup of new hires, final pay compliance, and tax setup

• Validate and monitor leave statuses (Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), parental leave, etc.) to ensure accurate pay treatment to prevent overpayments

• Audit employee records for changes in job status, pay rate, location, or benefits that may affect payroll accuracy

• Contribute to tax reporting and garnishments, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations

• Design, develop, and maintain payroll dashboards using Power BI to provide insights on payroll metrics, labor costs, and compliance trends

• Automate recurring payroll reports and generate ad hoc analyses for leadership and cross-functional teams

• Support audits, compliance reviews, and internal reporting with clean documentation and data integrity

• Train, mentor, and provide feedback to payroll team members to drive continuous improvement

• Assist with payroll system updates and integrations, coordinating with IT and HR to ensure smooth implementation

• Continuously identify opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices to optimize payroll efficiency

Job Qualifications and Competencies:

• Associate degree with four (4) years of payroll experience

• Experience with Workday HRIS or similar systems

• Strong knowledge of payroll processes, tax reporting, garnishments, and compliance requirements

• Proficiency in reporting and data analysis tools (Power BI, Excel, SQL)

• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and problem-solving abilities

• Strong communication and collaboration skills across departments

• Experience with multi-state payroll compliance and CBAs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree with five (5) years of payroll or HRIS experience

• Experience in payroll analytics, forecasting, and executive reporting

• Familiarity with advanced reporting languages, such as Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Python or Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) concepts

• Prior experience in a shared services or high-volume payroll environment

Work Environment:

• Standard office environment with use of telephones, computers, and other office equipment

Physical Requirements:

• Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds

The above statements provide a brief description of the general nature of work performed and are not intended to be a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required for this position. Duties and expectations are subject to change as needed.

Employment is contingent upon a clear driving record, 10-year Criminal History Records Check, and drug screen as required. We also require proof of high school or GED completion. Minimum 18 years of age.

Benefit package includes paid training, holiday pay, 401(k), vacation, and family travel on the American Airlines network. Medical and dental available.

Starting Rate:

$60,000.00/Annual Salary - 64,000.00/Annual Salary (Based on locale and experience)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. _?

I_ n addition to a competitive salary, we offer bonuses awarded in accordance with company policies and applicable criteria.

Job Application Deadline:

October 28, 2025

Please note that job postings expire at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on the day before the job application deadline. Ensure your application is submitted on time to be considered for the position.

Our team is a diverse group of people, all with a passion for aviation. We strive for excellence, and recognize that everyone - no matter which job title they hold - is responsible for our success. We celebrate our accomplishments together and learn from our mistakes. We hold each other accountable. We work as a team. We care for each other. We are Piedmont.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please email us at [email protected]