About the Opportunity
Coastal Waste & Recycling is seeking an experienced Senior Manager, Payroll & Compensation to oversee weekly payroll operations and compensation administration across our growing, multi-state organization.
This is a hands-on role for an experienced payroll professional who understands the complexities of multi-state payroll, is highly proficient with payroll systems, and can independently manage payroll processing, compensation transactions, and time-sensitive deadlines.
The position works closely with People Experience, Accounting, and external partners to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and the effective administration of company compensation programs.
Key ResponsibilitiesPayroll Administration- Own and execute weekly payroll processing across multiple states using Workday.
- Review payroll inputs, employee changes, timekeeping information, deductions, and adjustments to ensure accurate processing.
- Process off-cycle payments, retroactive adjustments, final pay, and other payroll transactions as needed.
- Coordinate with Accounting, ADP, and external partners on payroll tax matters, filings, and related issues.
- Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, employee inquiries, and escalated payroll issues.
- Maintain payroll calendars, processing deadlines, standard operating procedures, and internal controls.
- Partner with the Workday team and external support partners to resolve system issues and improve payroll processes.
- Ensure payroll processes comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
Compensation Administration- Administer the company's Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP), including employee eligibility, approved calculations, and payment processing.
- Coordinate annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), ensuring approved increases are accurately implemented within Workday.
- Maintain compensation-related attributes in Workday, including salary, hourly rates, compensation plans, incentive eligibility, allowances, and other compensation elements.
- Process and validate approved compensation changes, promotions, adjustments, and related transactions.
- Support compensation reporting, audits, and data requests in partnership with People Experience leadership.
- Ensure compensation transactions follow established approval workflows and company guidelines.
Workday & Process Management- Serve as the primary functional owner of weekly payroll processing within Workday.
- Partner with internal Workday resources and external vendors to troubleshoot system issues and implement enhancements.
- Identify opportunities to streamline payroll workflows, reduce manual processes, and strengthen data accuracy.
- Maintain clear documentation and procedures to ensure consistency and continuity.
Cross-Functional Partnership- Work closely with Accounting, People Experience, and operational leadership to address payroll and compensation matters.
- Coordinate with external payroll, tax, and system support partners.
- Provide guidance to managers and PX team members on payroll processes, compensation changes, and established procedures.
- Handle confidential employee and compensation information with discretion and professionalism.
Qualifications
Required- 8+ years of progressive payroll experience, including substantial hands-on responsibility for multi-state payroll.
- 3+ years of experience in a payroll management or senior payroll capacity.
- Strong understanding of payroll processing, payroll taxation, wage-and-hour requirements, and related compliance obligations.
- Experience administering compensation adjustments, annual increases, incentive payments, or similar compensation programs.
- Advanced proficiency with enterprise payroll or HRIS systems.
- Strong Excel skills, attention to detail, analytical ability, and organizational skills.
- Ability to independently manage weekly payroll deadlines and resolve complex payroll issues.
- Experience collaborating with Accounting and external payroll service providers.
Preferred- Experience with Workday Payroll and Workday Compensation.
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation.
- Experience with benefits administration and payroll-related benefit deductions.
- Experience supporting payroll for a multi-location, operationally intensive organization.
- Experience with 401(k) payroll administration and retirement plan deductions.
What Success Looks Like
The successful candidate will ensure employees are paid accurately and on time, maintain reliable compensation data in Workday, administer STIP and COLA processes effectively, and build strong working relationships with internal teams and external partners.
This position requires someone who is comfortable taking ownership, managing details, and ensuring payroll and compensation processes run consistently and efficiently.
