Payroll Lead

269 Ballard Road
Wilton, New York
United States

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
Payroll Processing & Technical Expertise
• Independently process complex weekly and biweekly payrolls for multiple company entities.
• Review payroll data for accuracy, resolve discrepancies, and process adjustments, corrections, special payments, bonuses, and out-of-cycle checks as needed.
• Maintain accurate employee payroll records, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, tax elections, deductions, direct deposits, and related payroll data.
• Maintain and review wage, fringe, union, deduction, and benefit rates to support compliance with collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and company policies.
• Prepare and review certified payroll reports, union reporting, payroll tax calculations, reconciliations, payments, filings, and year-end payroll reporting requirements.
• Support accurate labor distribution, job costing, and payroll reporting across company entities.
Team Leadership & Support
• Serve as a senior technical resource and first point of contact for Payroll Specialists on processing questions, unusual transactions, and complex payroll issues.
• Assist the Payroll Supervisor with weekly workload coordination, prioritization, and deadline management.
• Provide guidance, training, and cross-training on payroll processes, company payrolls, union requirements, reporting responsibilities, and department procedures.
• Strengthen departmental coverage by helping team members build knowledge across multiple company payrolls and reducing key-person dependencies.
• Provide workflow and technical support during the Payroll Supervisor's absence while escalating matters that require management authority.
• Promote a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented team environment.
Quality Control & Compliance
• Perform secondary review of payroll work, key payroll reports, and assigned quality-control items.
• Identify unusual payroll activity, discrepancies, rate issues, or other exceptions requiring additional review.
• Help ensure payroll practices comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and company policies.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of payroll, compensation, employee, and company information.
• Support internal and external payroll audits and compliance requests as needed.
Process Improvement & Systems Leadership
• Assist the Payroll Supervisor in improving, standardizing, and simplifying payroll processes.
• Support development and maintenance of payroll procedures, checklists, calendars, and training documentation.
• Identify recurring payroll issues and recommend solutions to improve accuracy, efficiency, and consistency.
• Use payroll systems, Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and related technology to streamline payroll processing and reconciliation.
• Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, testing, new workflows, and process changes.
• Serve as a resource to team members as new systems, processes, and technology are introduced.
Business Partnership & Communication
• Work collaboratively with employees, supervisors, project teams, Human Resources, Accounting, and Operations to resolve payroll questions and issues.
• Respond to payroll inquiries professionally, accurately, and timely.
• Identify recurring communication or process issues between Payroll and operating departments and assist in developing solutions.
• Escalate significant payroll, compliance, employee-relations, or system issues to the Payroll Supervisor as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:
• Minimum of 3-5 years of progressively responsible payroll experience, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Demonstrated ability to independently process payroll, resolve complex issues, and meet critical deadlines.
• Experience with payroll taxes, deductions, employee records, reconciliations, and payroll reporting.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and comfort using payroll systems and reporting tools.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to payroll accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to train, support, and provide guidance to other team members.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive employee information.
Preferred Education and Experience
• Associate's degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Experience processing payroll in a construction, heavy highway, materials, or similarly complex industry.
• Experience processing payroll for multiple companies, multiple states, and both union and non-union employee populations.
• Experience interpreting collective bargaining agreements, maintaining union wage and fringe rates, and supporting prevailing wage and certified payroll reporting.
• Experience preparing or reviewing union reports and payroll tax filings.
• Experience with construction payroll systems; Viewpoint Vista experience is a plus.
• Experience training or cross-training payroll staff and supporting process improvements, system implementations, or technology changes.

Compensation:Competitive wage commensurate with experience. Excellent benefit package including company paid health, dental and vision insurance with a company-funded retirement plan.

Salary Range: $76,000 - $86,000

Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as related work experience, market conditions, education/training, certifications and other credentials, overtime when applicable, as well as applicable knowledge and skills.