Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required.
Active Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) is required.
8+ years of progressive payroll experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory role.
Experience with ADP is required; Workday experience preferred.
Advanced Excel skills, including multi-function formulas and pivot tables.
Responsibilities
Execute and oversee semi-monthly and bi-weekly payroll for 3,000+ employees with 100% accuracy and compliance.
Act as the resident Subject Matter Expert for payroll regulations, especially for New York and multi-state jurisdictions.
Maintain and manage complex deductions including payroll taxes and benefit withholdings.
Lead the optimization of integrations between HRIS and payroll systems.
Drive compliance by managing the issuance of annual W-2 statements and audit inquiries.
Partner with Benefits, HR, FP&A, and Accounting to manage stakeholder relationships and external vendors.
Identify and implement opportunities for payroll automation and workflow optimization.
Benefits
20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) annually.
Paid holidays for all major holidays.
3% employer match on the 403(b) retirement plan.
Comprehensive healthcare benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Full Job Description
Role Overview
As the Lead Payroll, you will hold primary day-to-day responsibility for the end-to-end payroll operations of a complex, 3,000+ employee organization. Reporting directly to the Leader of Finance Operations, you will manage a dedicated team of 1-2 specialists and serve as a strategic change agent, bridging the gap between routine processing and high-level financial transformation. Core Responsibilities
Operational Leadership: Execute and oversee semi-monthly and bi-weekly payroll for 3,000+ employees, ensuring 100% accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
Regulatory Expertise: Serve as the resident Subject Matter Expert (SME) for payroll regulations, specifically for New York State and multi-state US jurisdictions.
Deductions Management: Maintain deep technical knowledge of withholdings, including complex payroll taxes, medical elections, 403(b) contributions, garnishments, and diverse benefit deductions.
Systems & Integration: Lead the maintenance and optimization of integrations between the HRIS and payroll processing systems.
Compliance & Audit: Drive the issuance of annual W-2 statements and manage all internal/external audit inquiries.
Stakeholder Partnership: Act as a critical business partner to Benefits, HR, FP&A, and Accounting. Manage external vendor relationships, including brokers and 403(b) financial advisors.
Transformation & Innovation: Proactively identify opportunities to automate, optimize, and audit the payroll lifecycle to increase compliance, streamline workflows, and reduce manual overhead.
Degree: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required.
Certification: Active Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) designation is required.
Technical Skills & Experience
Direct Experience: 8+ years of progressive payroll experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity.
Software Proficiency: Experience with ADP is required; experience with Workday is strongly preferred.
Excel Mastery: Advanced data manipulation skills, including multi-function formulas, pivot tables, and sophisticated data formatting.
Regulatory Knowledge: Comprehensive, up-to-date understanding of Federal, State, and Local laws, including FLSA.
Leadership & Soft Skills
Change Management: Proven ability to act as a "change agent," bringing transformation experience to an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, and high-volume environment.
Communication: Refined emotional intelligence with the ability to influence stakeholders, deliver exceptional internal customer service, and negotiate buy-in across departments.
Critical Thinking: A hands-on problem solver who can easily balance granular detail with big-picture process improvement.
Compensation, Benefits & Perks
At Success Academy, we know that our extraordinary team is our greatest asset. We offer a highly competitive compensation package designed to support your well-being, financial future, and work-life balance:
Generous Paid Time Off: Enjoy 20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) annually to rest and recharge.
Paid Holidays: Take a well-deserved break with all major holidays off.
Retirement Security: A 3% employer match on your 403(b) retirement plan to help you build long-term wealth.
Comprehensive Benefits: Access to full, premium healthcare benefits (medical, dental, and vision insurance), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and pre-tax commuter benefits.
Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. This position is not bonus eligible.
Compensation Range
$150,000-$180,000 USD
About Success Academy Charter Schools
Success Academy Charter Schools is a network of 47 free, public charter schools serving 20,000 students in grades K-12 across New York City. Success Academy was founded in 2006 by Eva Moskowitz, a former New York City Council member. Success Academy schools are known for their rigorous academic curriculum, high standards, and emphasis on character development. Success Academy has been recognized for its success in closing the achievement gap and providing high-quality education to students from low-income families. Success Academy is headquartered in New York City and has schools located throughout the city.
