Payroll Manager

Aston Carter

$110K — $140K *
Legal & Accounting
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3-5 years of payroll administration experience in a multi-entity environment.
  • Proven experience processing multi-state payroll and understanding state regulations.
  • Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and compliance.
  • Familiarity with Deltek Costpoint or similar ERP systems for payroll and labor accounting.
  • Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel including formulas and pivot tables.
  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Experience with ADP payroll systems and related components such as garnishments.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee the complete bi-weekly, multi-state payroll process, ensuring timely execution.
  • Accurately process payroll adjustments for new hires, promotions, and terminations.
  • Ensure full compliance with payroll laws at various levels of government.
  • Maintain payroll records and employee earnings history for audits and financial reports.
  • Coordinate payroll tax filings and year-end report preparation.
  • Act as the central contact for payroll queries from employees and management.
  • Administer the timekeeping process ensuring accuracy in Deltek Costpoint.

Benefits

  • Generous paid time off program with approximately four weeks accruing each pay period, plus initial credit upon hire.
  • Flexibility to transition to a hybrid work schedule after initial performance evaluation.
  • Supportive and collaborative work culture focused on growth and flexibility.
  • Comfortable office environment with professional settings and options for window offices.
Full Job Description
Job Title: Payroll Manager
Job Description
The Payroll Manager leads all aspects of payroll administration for a growing government contracting organization. This role oversees the accurate and timely processing of bi-weekly, multi-state payroll, ensures strict compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, and administers labor accounting within Deltek Costpoint. The Payroll Manager serves as the primary payroll resource for employees and management, handling payroll inquiries and supporting related accounting activities, including month-end close and financial reporting. This position is ideal for a payroll professional who takes pride in accuracy, compliance, and delivering excellent service while working in a flexible and supportive environment.
Responsibilities
  • Own the end-to-end processing of bi-weekly, multi-state payroll, ensuring all pay cycles run smoothly and on schedule.
  • Process payroll changes such as new hires, promotions, salary adjustments, bonuses, benefit deductions, and terminations with high accuracy.
  • Ensure payroll is processed in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including payroll tax laws.
  • Maintain accurate payroll records and detailed employee earnings history for audit and reporting purposes.
  • Coordinate payroll tax filings and year-end reporting, including preparation and review of required forms and schedules.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll-related questions from employees and managers, providing timely and professional support.
  • Administer the employee timekeeping process in Deltek Costpoint, ensuring timesheets are complete and accurate.
  • Review and post labor transactions in Deltek Costpoint, verifying that data is properly recorded.
  • Ensure labor costs are properly charged to contracts and indirect cost pools in accordance with company policies and government contracting requirements.
  • Process labor corrections and respond to labor reporting requests from internal stakeholders.
  • Maintain paid time off (PTO) balances and process adjustments as needed to reflect accurate leave information.
  • Prepare PTO accruals and reconcile related balances to ensure accurate financial and employee records.
  • Administer 401(k) payroll deductions and employer match calculations, ensuring contributions are correct and timely.
  • Coordinate with the retirement plan administrator and support the annual 401(k) audit by providing required payroll data and documentation.
  • Prepare payroll-related journal entries and account reconciliations to support the general ledger and financial statements.
  • Support month-end and year-end close activities by providing payroll data, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
  • Assist with external audits and payroll-related reporting, ensuring requested information is complete and accurate.
  • Support other accounting projects as needed, collaborating with the broader finance and accounting team.
  • Act as the main point of contact managing the payroll process for the company, even though the role has no direct reports.

Essential Skills
  • 3-5 years of payroll administration experience, preferably in a complex or multi-entity environment.
  • Experience processing multi-state payroll, including familiarity with varying state regulations and requirements.
  • Strong understanding of payroll tax laws and payroll compliance at the federal, state, and local levels.
  • Experience with Deltek Costpoint or another enterprise resource planning (ERP) system used for payroll and labor accounting.
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including use of formulas, pivot tables, and VLOOKUP functions.
  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Experience with ADP payroll systems.
  • Demonstrated attention to detail and strong organizational skills to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
  • Experience handling payroll components such as garnishments, 401(k) deductions, and related benefits.
  • Foundational accounting knowledge and experience supporting accounting functions related to payroll.

Additional Skills & Qualifications
  • Experience working in a government contracting environment.
  • Hands-on experience with Deltek Costpoint specifically for payroll, labor accounting, and timekeeping.
  • Knowledge of DCAA (Defense Contract Audit Agency) compliance requirements related to labor and payroll.
  • Experience supporting payroll-related audits, including external financial and compliance audits.
  • Ability to serve as a primary payroll point of contact without direct reports, managing processes independently.
  • Strong communication skills and a customer-service mindset when working with employees and management.
  • Ability to adapt and grow into expanded responsibilities as the role and organization evolve.

Work Environment
The role operates in a professional office environment within a growing organization of approximately 120-130 employees. Typical work hours align with a standard full-time schedule, with options such as 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., or 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Early in the role, the schedule may align closely with leadership's hours for training and collaboration, with flexibility to move to a core shift once fully trained and performing well. The position is 100% onsite initially, with the opportunity to transition to a hybrid schedule of 1-2 days remote per week after demonstrating strong performance. The culture is laid back, friendly, and supportive, emphasizing flexibility, autonomy, and professional growth. The work setting includes a comfortable office environment, with features such as window offices for some roles. Employees benefit from good benefits and a generous paid time off program, including approximately four weeks of PTO that accrues each pay period and an initial PTO credit upon hire. The payroll function is part of a collaborative finance and accounting team that includes an assistant controller, accounts payable, accounting staff, and financial planning and analysis, all working together in a collegial and growth-oriented environment. Dress expectations are consistent with a typical professional office setting.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Germantown, MD.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $110000.00 - $140000.00/yr.
please see attached over under Other related lists
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Germantown,MD.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Jul 31, 2026.

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