Manager Payroll Operations (US & Canada)

It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies-like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion -have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.

We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.

The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful-because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.

If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.

Primary Function of Position:

The Manager, Payroll Operations (U.S. & Canada) leads end-to-end payroll operations for more than 9,000 employees and manages a team of payroll professionals. The role is accountable for accurate and timely payroll processing, regulatory compliance, employee inquiry and case management and internal controls, vendor performance, and continuous improvement efforts across the organization.

This is a hands-on people leadership role that balances operational execution with strategic direction. The Manager, Payroll Operations provides escalation support for complex payroll matters, develops team capability, strengthens governance, and partners across Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Benefits, Equity Administration, IT, and Internal Audit. The successful candidate brings sound judgment, financial acumen, a strong control mindset, and the ability to translate data and emerging technology into practical improvements.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Direct end-to-end payroll operations for U.S. and Canadian employees, including regular and off-cycle payrolls, new hires, terminations, leaves, retroactive pay, bonuses, commissions, equity-related earnings, deductions, garnishments, and year-end processing.

• Ensure payrolls are processed accurately, timely, and in accordance with approved calendars, documented procedures, service-level expectations, and applicable funding and approval requirements.

• Partner with the Director, Payroll Services and Principal Payroll Tax Lead to support federal, state, provincial, and local payroll tax compliance, including accurate withholding, quarter- and year-end reconciliations, Forms W-2/W-2c and Canadian T4/RL-1 reporting, agency notices, amendments, and vendor issue resolution.

• Maintain compliance with applicable wage-and-hour, payroll tax, record-retention, privacy, escheatment, and final-pay requirements; partner with Legal, Tax, Human Resources, and external advisors on complex or emerging matters.

• Own payroll reconciliations, variance analysis, funding validation, general-ledger interfaces, balance-sheet support, and coordination with Accounting and Treasury.

• Maintain a strong internal-control environment, including segregation of duties, access reviews, change controls, evidence retention, business continuity, and SOX control execution; serve as a primary contact for internal and external audits.

• Lead root-cause analysis for payroll errors and service issues; document corrective and preventive actions, monitor recurrence, and escalate material risks promptly.

• Develop payroll metrics and dashboards covering accuracy, timeliness, case volumes, cycle performance, adjustments, control exceptions, vendor performance, and employee experience.

• Serve as the senior escalation point for sensitive employee and executive payroll inquiries; ensure cases are handled consistently, confidentially, and within established service levels.

• Lead payroll technology and process-improvement initiatives involving Workday, ADP Vantage, Canadian payroll platforms, time and attendance solutions, integrations, reporting, testing, and change management.

• Establish and maintain current policies, standard operating procedures, process maps, control documentation, calendars, and training materials.

• Recruit, coach, develop, and retain a high-performing team; set clear goals, allocate work, provide timely feedback, manage performance, recognize contributions, and build effective backup coverage.

• Support the Director, Payroll Services in developing and executing the multi-year payroll strategy, operating model, technology roadmap, and investment priorities. Identify and prioritize responsible AI and automation opportunities across payroll operations, such as payroll variance and anomaly detection, employee inquiry classification and routing, reconciliation support, knowledge search and management reporting.

• Protect confidential payroll and personal data by using only company-approved tools and data sets; prevent sensitive employee information from being entered into unapproved public AI platforms.

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressive payroll experience, including at least 5 years leading payroll professionals in a large, complex, multi-state organization.
• Demonstrated responsibility for U.S. payroll operations and working knowledge of Canadian payroll requirements; experience supporting large employee populations and multiple legal entities or pay groups.
• Strong knowledge of payroll processing, payroll tax, wage-and-hour requirements, garnishments, accounting and reconciliation practices, internal controls, and year-end reporting.
• Experience managing payroll systems, integrations, time and attendance platforms, vendors, audits, controls, and cross-functional projects.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, identify risk, and communicate clear recommendations.
• Strong people leadership, executive communication, stakeholder management, organization, and change-management capabilities.
• Ability to handle confidential information, competing priorities, and time-sensitive issues with sound judgment and discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, lead through change, build cross-functional partnerships, develop talent, drive operational excellence, and balance innovation with appropriate risk and control discipline
• Available for occasional travel (10-25%) to Sunnyvale, CA or other U.S. company locations may be required.
• This role requires working onsite in our Peachtree Corners, GA office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday every week

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation; Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) or Payroll Leadership Professional (PLP) designation is an asset for Canadian payroll responsibilities.
• Experience with Workday HCM and Workday Time and Attendance, ADP Vantage, ADP Workforce Now Canada, and enterprise time and attendance administration.
• Experience with SOX-compliant environments, payroll transformation, system implementations, robotic process automation, analytics, or governed enterprise AI solutions.
• Experience supporting equity compensation, executive payroll, expatriate or mobility programs, acquisitions, or complex organizational changes.

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Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19. Details can vary by role.

Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.

Mandatory Notices

U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer: In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR §743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employees who are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.

Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government’s licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan (“TCP”) (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).

For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee’s start date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.

Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.

This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on

business need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.

Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the

candidate’s qualifications, consistent with applicable law.

Accommodation & Accessibility Notice:

Intuitive is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance or an accommodation during any part of the application or interview process, please contact People Services at [email protected].

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target compensation ranges are listed.