ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time Payroll Manager position in the Finance Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

Responsible for safeguarding the financial resources of the organization, the Finance team manages the financial activities of the National ACLU. From paying vendors to forecasting budgets, and everything in-between, we take pride in providing the resources and platform for informed financial decision-making.

Reporting to the Assistant Controller, the Payroll Manager is responsible for our semi-monthly payroll processing, employee reimbursement and related activities. This position plays a critical role in our organization by ensuring the smooth, timely, and error-free processing of payments to our hardworking staff. Our ideal candidate is an experienced and highly organized payroll professional with a service-orientation and a passion for the work of the ACLU.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The following overview of responsibilities is intended to describe the type of work which will be assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all specific duties required by the employee:

Leadership 

• Serve as subject matter expert for functional area and relevant systems under management; create and deliver trainings on relevant topics to ACLU staff, maintain knowledge needed for oneself and team members to perform duties using the systems’ relevant features 
• Collaborate with intra and inter department team members, providing and exchanging information regarding existing and/or new work flows and projects and communicating possible implications for the teams 
• Deliver exceptional, proactive and friendly customer service to internal and external stakeholder by researching and resolving payroll and reimbursement-related inquiries in a timely and professional manner

Payroll Management

• Serve as the primary administrator for payroll system responsible for setup and implementation of new/enhanced features, and maintaining excellent data hygiene by updating employee information, user profiles, and system coding for earnings, taxes and deductions in a timely manner
• Accurately process semi-month payroll, including earnings, deductions, garnishments and taxes for 600 local and out-of-state exempt and non-exempt employees in accordance with company policy, union contracts and federal, state and local laws
• Work with Human Resources to gather and process supporting documentation for employee changes impacting payroll
• Perform monthly reconciliations of payroll items to general ledger and prepare payroll related journal entries and work papers for the monthly and annual close, GAAP and pension audits, and 990s
• Reconcile periodic tax filings and earnings records, including 941s, W-2s, etc., and prepare payroll related schedules for tax returns
• Work with federal, state and local agencies to ensure the ACLU is registered and in compliance with regulations
• Serve as primary contact for correspondence
• Create and maintain documentation of payroll procedures, processes and timelines
• Maintain an organized filing system of all payroll related records
• Prepare miscellaneous personnel reports for management

Employee Reimbursement Management

• Review and process employee cash-out-of-pocket expense reports, ensuring reimbursement requests are appropriate and align with company policy
• Work with Operations team to ensure employee profiles in expense management system as employees are activated/deactivated
• Prepare accounting entries to reflect reimbursements processed, ensuring proper coding and expense allocation between entities, if applicable
• Prepare reports for Human Resources and/or management for reimbursements related to specific employee benefits
• Serve as back-up for Travel & Expense Program Manager

In addition to:

• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
• Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Significant experience processing payroll for large organizations with multiple entities required. Certified Payroll Professional designation highly preferred
• Excellent judgement with ability to maintain high degree of confidentiality as it relates to sensitive personnel data and financial transactions
• Ability to work independently to prioritize and successfully complete multiple tasks without missing deadlines
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels with strong verbal and written communication skills
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office products required, with advanced skills in Excel (pivot tables, vlookups, if statements)

COMPENSATION

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.