Manager, HR Compliance & Operational Excellence

About the role

Bayer seeks an incumbent with progressive experience in HR Compliance, HR Operations, Payroll, Benefits, Risk Management, Governance, Operational Excellence, or a related discipline. They require a strong understanding of U.S. HR compliance requirements and governance frameworks, along with the ability to learn and navigate cross-border U.S./Canada implications. The ideal candidate should have experience supporting both U.S. and Canadian HR compliance environments, working knowledge of ERISA governance, pension and savings plan oversight, Form 5500 processes, SPD controls, employment tax interfaces, I-9 governance, and regulatory audit management. They must also have experience partnering with Legal, Audit, Tax, Payroll, Benefits, Finance, HR Operations, and external advisors. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking capabilities are essential, as is excellent executive communication, stakeholder management, facilitation, and influencing skills. The candidate should be comfortable operating in ambiguity and leading through change in a matrixed environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight of HR compliance activities across North America HR Foundations.
• Maintain end-to-end visibility across critical compliance obligations, controls, audits, regulatory touchpoints, and emerging risks.
• Establish governance frameworks that clarify accountability and ownership across HR, Payroll, Benefits, Legal, Finance, Tax, and related functions.
• Audit and strengthen preventive and detective controls to support compliance with applicable federal, state, provincial, and local requirements.
• Identify control gaps, process fragmentation, ownership ambiguity, and single points of failure; drive sustainable remediation plans.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that improve quality, reduce risk, eliminate waste, and simplify employee and HR partner experiences.
• Apply Lean, process improvement, design thinking, and operational excellence methodologies to modernize compliance-related processes.
• Redesign workflows to reduce complexity, minimize handoffs, and eliminate unnecessary manual activity.
• Build scalable operating models that reduce key-person dependency and improve organizational resilience.
• Strengthen documentation standards, knowledge management practices, and cross-training expectations across critical compliance processes.
• Partner with functional owners to transition selected operational activities into Payroll and Benefits where ownership more naturally aligns.
• Enable the use of automation, workflow technology, analytics, and artificial intelligence to improve compliance outcomes and reduce manual effort.
• Identify opportunities to replace manual checks with system-enabled prevention, intelligent monitoring, and exception-based controls.
• Partner with HR Technology, Workday, Payroll, Benefits, Digital, and Operational Excellence teams to design scalable technology-enabled solutions.
• Apply emerging AI capabilities to improve process documentation, knowledge management, risk identification, employee support, and operational decision support.
• Promote a culture of curiosity, continuous learning, and practical innovation around future-of-work capabilities.
• Cross-functionally lead with Payroll, Benefits, HR Business Partners, Legal, Finance, Tax, Internal Audit, and external vendors or advisors.
• Influence stakeholders across a complex matrix environment without relying solely on formal authority.
• Facilitate alignment across multiple functions involved in compliance-related activities and controls.
• Lead governance forums, stakeholder discussions, and executive-ready updates on compliance priorities, operational risk, and modernization progress.
• Translate complex compliance, audit, and process topics into clear recommendations and practical action plans.
• Coach leaders and teams on compliance ownership, governance expectations, audit readiness, and operating discipline.
• Support organizational transformation as North America HR Foundations evolves its operating model and modernizes service delivery.

Requirements

The successful candidate must possess the following qualifications:

• Progressive experience in HR Compliance, HR Operations, Payroll, Benefits, Risk Management, Governance, Operational Excellence, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated success leading process redesign, governance improvement, or organizational transformation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of U.S. HR compliance requirements and governance frameworks.
• Ability to learn and navigate cross-border U.S./Canada implications.
• Working knowledge of ERISA governance, pension and savings plan oversight, Form 5500 processes, SPD controls, employment tax interfaces, I-9 governance, and regulatory audit management.
• Experience partnering with Legal, Audit, Tax, Payroll, Benefits, Finance, HR Operations, and external advisors.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking capabilities.
• Excellent executive communication, stakeholder management, facilitation, and influencing skills.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and leading through change in a matrixed environment.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate should have the following qualifications:

• Experience supporting both U.S. and Canadian HR compliance environments.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Legal Studies, Public Policy, Risk Management, or a related field.
• Experience with Workday or comparable HR technology ecosystems.
• Experience applying Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Process Management, Design Thinking, or similar methodologies.
• Experience implementing automation, workflow tools, analytics, AI-enabled solutions, or digital process improvements.
• Vendor governance or external advisor management experience.

Benefits

Employees can expect to be paid a salary between $115,520 to $173,280. Additional compensation may include a bonus or commission (if relevant). Additional benefits include health care, vision, dental, retirement, PTO, sick leave, etc.

Pay

This salary range is merely an estimate and may vary based on an applicant’s location, market data/ranges, an applicant’s skills and prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications, and other relevant factors.

Schedule

This posting will be available for application until at least 8/3/2026.

Contact Us

To all recruitment agencies: Bayer does not accept unsolicited third party resumes. Bayer is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans Bayer is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations in its application process for individuals with disabilities and encourages applicants with disabilities to request any needed accommodation(s) using the contact information below.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

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Location

United States : Missouri : Creve Coeur
United States : Missouri : St. Louis
United States : Residence Based : Residence Based

Division

Enabling Functions

Reference Code

876754