The Payroll Manager is responsible for managing and processing the organization's payroll in-house, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations. This position oversees the full payroll cycle, including payroll preparation, processing, tax filings, reconciliations, reporting, and payroll system administration. The Payroll Manager also supervises payroll staff and serves as the primary point of contact for payroll-related matters.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and process end-to-end payroll in-house for all employees, including hourly, salaried, exempt, and non-exempt employees.
- Prepare and process weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly payrolls.
- Review and approve payroll prior to final processing and funding.
- Ensure accurate calculation of regular hours, overtime, bonuses, commissions, PTO, deductions, and other earnings.
- Review timekeeping and attendance records for accuracy and resolve discrepancies.
- Maintain employee payroll records, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, direct deposits, tax withholding, and deductions.
- Process payroll adjustments, off-cycle checks, manual checks, and retroactive payments as needed.
- Calculate and administer payroll taxes and other statutory deductions.
- Ensure timely federal, state, and local payroll tax filings and payments.
- Reconcile payroll, payroll taxes, deductions, and general ledger accounts.
- Prepare payroll journal entries and provide payroll information to the Accounting/Finance team.
- Manage year-end payroll activities, including W-2s, W-3s, and other required tax reporting.
- Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee payroll inquiries.
- Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws.
- Monitor changes in payroll legislation and update payroll procedures accordingly.
- Administer garnishments, levies, child support orders, benefit deductions, and other employee deductions.
- Coordinate with Human Resources regarding employee status changes, compensation updates, benefits, and onboarding/offboarding.
- Maintain the payroll system and ensure accurate configuration of earnings, deductions, taxes, and employee data.
- Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, controls, and processing calendars.
- Protect confidential employee compensation and payroll information.
- Produce payroll reports and provide management with payroll-related analysis and reporting.
- Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, controls, efficiency, and accuracy.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Supervise, train, and develop payroll staff.
- Assign and review daily payroll activities.
- Establish quality-control procedures to minimize payroll errors.
- Review staff performance and provide ongoing coaching.
- Ensure adequate payroll coverage during processing deadlines and employee absences.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
- 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including significant hands-on in-house payroll processing experience.
- 2+ years of payroll supervisory or management experience preferred.
- Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements.
- Experience processing payroll for a multi-state organization preferred.
- Strong understanding of wage and hour regulations, overtime, deductions, and payroll compliance.
- Experience with payroll, HRIS, and timekeeping systems.
- Advanced Excel skills and strong reconciliation abilities.
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- Ability to meet strict payroll processing deadlines.
Preferred Experience
- Experience processing payroll without relying on an outsourced payroll provider.
- Multi-state payroll processing.
- Payroll tax filings and reconciliations.
- Year-end W-2 processing.
- Payroll system implementation or conversion experience.
- Experience integrating payroll with accounting/GL systems.
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
Compensation: $110,000-130,000Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, knowledge, skills, other job-related qualifications.
