Senior Business Product Owner – Payroll & Timekeeping

Senior Business Product Owner – Payroll & Timekeeping
Function: People & Culture Technology & Enablement
Reports to: Director, Business Solutions
Level: Senior Individual Contributor (10+ years experience)
Primary Platforms: UKG, Oracle Payroll, Third-Party Payroll Interfaces
Role Summary
The Senior Business Product Owner serves as the functional authority and business owner for payroll and timekeeping technology, with a primary focus on UKG. This role bridges People & Culture, Global Services, and IT to ensure platforms are fully leveraged, well-governed, and continuously improved.
The individual owns the functional roadmap and requirements for UKG and related systems, driving optimization in a newly implemented environment with limited documentation.
This is not an IT role—it is a senior business-facing position requiring strong technical fluency, deep payroll expertise, and the ability to collaborate closely with IT while maintaining a business-first mindset.
Key Responsibilities
1. Business Product Ownership
Own payroll and timekeeping technology with end-to-end functional accountability
Define and maintain the functional vision and roadmap
Act as the primary decision-maker for requirements, design, and prioritization
Ensure solutions support accuracy, compliance, scalability, and employee experience
2. UKG Functional Expertise
Provide deep expertise in UKG capabilities and best practices
Identify gaps between current usage and out-of-the-box functionality
Drive enhancements and optimization opportunities
Move the organization beyond a lift-and-shift approach
3. Requirements & Solution Design
Develop clear, detailed, and actionable business requirements
Translate business needs into functional specifications
Review designs, integrations, and configurations
Identify risks, gaps, and unintended impacts proactively
4. IT Partnership & Governance
Partner with IT while maintaining business ownership
Provide functional context where documentation is limited
Ensure solutions are sustainable and aligned with business outcomes
Reduce dependency on vendor-led decision-making
5. Stabilization, Documentation & Maturity
Establish and improve system documentation and standards
Clarify configurations, decisions, and optimization opportunities
Support audit readiness and operational stability
6. Collaboration & Leadership
Partner with payroll, timekeeping, shared services, and enablement teams
Contribute to broader People & Culture technology strategy
Required Qualifications
10+ years of experience in payroll/timekeeping technology (functional/business side)
Hands-on experience with UKG (Kronos / Workforce Central / UKG Pro / UKG Dimensions)
Experience as a Business Product Owner or Functional Lead
Strong requirement gathering and documentation skills
Deep understanding of payroll and timekeeping processes
Ability to work effectively with IT while maintaining a business-first approach
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with global or multi-country payroll environments
Knowledge of integrations between UKG, HRIS, and finance systems
Experience in shared services or large enterprise environments
What Success Looks Like
UKG is well-documented, optimized, and effectively utilized
Business requirements are clear and actionable
Reduced defects and rework in payroll/timekeeping
Strong collaboration between business and IT
Payroll and timekeeping technology acts as a strategic enabler