Job Description

Senior Payroll Manager, Mexico

The Senior Payroll Manager, Mexico is responsible for leading the end-to-end payroll function for Mexico, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing, strong internal controls, and full compliance with Mexican labor, tax, social security, housing fund, and electronic payroll reporting requirements. This role serves as the subject matter expert for Mexican payroll legislation and partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Legal, Tax, external providers, and business leadership to support compliant, efficient, and employee-focused payroll operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead full-cycle payroll operations for Mexico, including regular payrolls, off-cycle payments, adjustments, retroactive payments, terminations, severance, and final settlements.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, on time, and in accordance with company policies, employment agreements, collective bargaining requirements where applicable, and Mexican statutory requirements.
• Provide expert guidance on Mexican payroll practices, including weekly, biweekly, quincenal, and monthly payroll cycles as applicable to the workforce.
• Oversee payroll inputs, calculations, validations, approvals, funding, bank files, payroll journals, reconciliations, and employee pay documentation.
• Manage payroll controls, segregation of duties, audit evidence, issue resolution, and continuous improvement of payroll processes.
• Lead, coach, and develop payroll team members; establish coverage plans, performance expectations, training, and succession readiness.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, Treasury, Benefits, Operations, and external payroll vendors to resolve complex payroll issues and support business priorities.
• Monitor payroll service levels, accuracy metrics, timeliness, compliance exceptions, employee inquiries, and root-cause corrective actions.

Mexican Legislative and Payroll Compliance Requirements

• Ensure compliance with the Ley Federal del Trabajo, including requirements related to wages, work schedules, overtime, rest days, holidays, vacation entitlement, vacation premium, statutory leaves, termination payments, and employee profit sharing.
• Oversee accurate calculation, withholding, reporting, and remittance of Impuesto Sobre la Renta (ISR) for salaries, bonuses, overtime, taxable benefits, and other payroll-related earnings.
• Ensure accurate employer and employee social security calculations, registrations, salary base updates, reporting, and payments to the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS).
• Manage compliance with Instituto del Fondo Nacional de la Vivienda para los Trabajadores (INFONAVIT) obligations, including employer housing fund contributions and employee loan deductions where applicable.
• Ensure compliance with retirement savings obligations, including SAR/AFORE-related payroll contributions and reporting requirements.
• Oversee payroll CFDI reporting, including timely generation, validation, stamping, cancellation or correction when required, and delivery of compliant CFDI de Nómina receipts through SAT-authorized processes.
• Ensure payroll systems and vendor processes comply with applicable CFDI 4.0 and Nómina Complement requirements and maintain accurate data alignment with SAT, IMSS, and INFONAVIT records.
• Manage statutory benefits and accruals, including aguinaldo, vacation, prima vacacional, overtime premiums, Sunday premium where applicable, statutory holidays, and other legally required payments.
• Coordinate annual Participación de los Trabajadores en las Utilidades (PTU) calculations, accruals, documentation, payments, and reporting in partnership with Finance, Tax, and Legal.
• Ensure compliance with state payroll tax requirements, including calculation, filing, payment, and reconciliation according to the states in which employees are registered or services are performed.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation for SAT, IMSS, INFONAVIT, labor authority, internal audit, external audit, and corporate compliance reviews.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes affecting Mexican payroll and translate changes into updated payroll processes, controls, communications, and training.

Payroll Systems, Controls, and Governance

• Own Mexico payroll system governance, including configuration requirements, statutory updates, testing, user access, data quality, and integration controls.
• Partner with IT, HRIS, payroll providers, and implementation teams to support payroll system upgrades, acquisitions, integrations, and process standardization.
• Maintain payroll calendars, compliance checklists, standard operating procedures, approval matrices, reconciliation templates, and escalation protocols.
• Ensure confidentiality, data privacy, and secure handling of employee payroll information in accordance with company policy and applicable legal requirements.
• Support internal and external audits by providing timely, accurate, and complete payroll records, reconciliations, statutory filings, and management explanations.
• Drive automation, simplification, and standardization while maintaining compliance and operational resilience.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field; equivalent payroll leadership experience may be considered.
• Extensive progressive payroll experience in Mexico, including leadership responsibility for complex, high-volume payroll operations.
• Deep technical knowledge of Mexican payroll legislation, tax withholding, social security, housing fund, retirement, statutory benefits, payroll CFDI, and labor compliance requirements.
• Experience managing payroll teams, external payroll providers, payroll audits, process controls, and cross-functional stakeholder relationships.
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting, general ledger postings, accruals, reconciliations, and month-end close support.
• Experience with payroll and HRIS platforms used in Mexico; experience with ADP, Workday, SAP, Oracle, or other enterprise systems is preferred.
• Advanced Excel and analytical skills, including the ability to validate complex payroll calculations and identify control gaps.
• Fluency in Spanish required; English proficiency preferred for regional or global collaboration.

Key Competencies

• Mexican payroll subject matter expertise and strong compliance judgment.
• High attention to detail, accuracy, confidentiality, and follow-through.
• Strong leadership, coaching, prioritization, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to explain complex statutory requirements clearly to non-payroll stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to manage urgent payroll issues and competing deadlines.
• Process improvement mindset with focus on controls, automation, employee experience, and operational excellence.
• Strong vendor management, audit readiness, and cross-functional partnership skills.

Success Measures

• Payrolls are processed accurately, timely, and in compliance with Mexican statutory requirements.
• Payroll CFDI receipts, tax withholdings, social security contributions, housing fund contributions, retirement contributions, state payroll taxes, and statutory payments are completed within required timelines.
• Audit findings, compliance exceptions, employee escalations, and payroll corrections are minimized and resolved promptly.
• Payroll processes are well documented, controlled, scalable, and continuously improved.
• Payroll team members are trained, engaged, and able to provide reliable operational coverage.
• Stakeholders receive accurate payroll reporting, clear guidance, and timely support for business decisions.

PRIMARY LOCATION

Monterrey Business Center