LATAM Payroll Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and Manage the end-to-end payroll operations, ensuring full compliance with local labor laws, tax requirements, and Kohler’s policies.
• Oversee the calculation of salaries, bonuses, benefits, and deductions.
• Oversee compliance with all local tax, labor, and social security obligations (e.g., IMSS, INFONAVIT, RCV in Mexico; FGTS, INSS in Brazil).
• Cook up and submit required statutory filings and declarations, including tax withholdings, social security, and year-end processes.
• Stay current with labor law updates, tax changes, and regional payroll trends, providing proactive recommendations for change.
• Lead a team of payroll professionals, from multiple locations and countries, providing guidance, training, and development to ensure high standards of payroll accuracy and efficiency.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the payroll function.
• Manage payroll systems and tools, identifying and driving process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness.
• Collaborate with IT and other departments to implement new payroll software or system upgrades.
• Partner with Human Resources, Finance, and Legal teams to resolve payroll-related issues.
• Work with HR on employee data management, benefits integration, and new hire onboarding to ensure accurate payroll setup.
• Generate and review payroll reports, including cost analysis and compliance audits.
• Provide regular and ad-hoc reporting to senior management, highlighting any payroll-related risks or opportunities for improvement.
• Oversee team’s investigation into employee payroll inquiries.
• Address discrepancies, ensure timely resolution of issues, and ensure employees receive exceptional service regarding payroll concerns.
• Support integration activities for new business units or acquisitions.
• Lead or participate in payroll-related projects to enhance payroll efficiency or introduce new initiatives within the LATAM region.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Experience: 7+ years of experience in regional payroll management within LATAM, with strong focus on Mexico and Brazil.
• Skills & Knowledge: Strong knowledge of payroll laws, tax regulations, and benefits in LATAM countries. Proficiency in payroll software (e.g., SAP, ADP, Workday, or similar). Eslabon software experience preferred. Ability to manage large-scale payroll operations across multiple locations and countries. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Languages: Fluency in Spanish, with advanced English proficiency. Proficiency in Portuguese preferred.
• Leadership Skills: Demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
• Preferred Qualifications: Certification in Payroll Management or similar credentials. Experience with HRIS (Human Resource Information System) integration. Familiarity with benefits administration and the integration of payroll with HR systems.