Payroll Supervisor - Decatur, IL

Position Summary

The Payroll Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the hourly payroll function, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing, compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local regulations, and delivery of exceptional customer support to field locations. This position provides direct leadership, training, and development for all hourly Payroll Specialists, serves as a subject matter expert for payroll operations, and supports payroll projects, audits, and process improvements.

Essential Responsibilities

Payroll Operations Oversight

• Supervise and coordinate weekly payroll processing activities to ensure timely and accurate payroll execution.
• Monitor payroll schedules, batch processing, balancing, funding, and transmission activities.
• Review and resolve payroll exceptions, adjustments, direct deposit rejections, replacement checks, ACH recalls, stop payments, and overpayment recoveries.
• Ensure timely processing of manual checks, retroactive payments, union dues, reimbursements, deductions, and special payroll transactions.
• Oversee payroll reporting, reconciliation, balancing, and payroll-related journal entries (tax accounts, cash accounts and payroll liability accounts).
• Review payroll documentation and maintain records supporting payroll transactions.
  
  

Team Leadership and Development

• Provide daily supervision and guidance to Payroll Specialists and Payroll Team Leads.
• Monitor team workloads and prioritize assignments to ensure service level expectations are met.
• Develop and maintain cross-training plans to ensure adequate departmental coverage.
• Coach, mentor, and develop payroll staff to enhance knowledge, accuracy, and performance.
• Assist with onboarding and training of new payroll employees.
• Conduct performance feedback discussions and contribute to performance evaluations.
  
  

Customer Service and Support

• Serve as escalation point for payroll inquiries from locations, employees, Human Resources, and management.
• Ensure timely resolution of payroll issues related to time entry, earnings, deductions, direct deposits, and employee records.
• Partner with field locations to educate managers and payroll contacts on payroll processes and procedures.
• Maintain high levels of customer service through effective communication and issue resolution.
• Partner with all HR Operations areas as they relate to the processing of employee payroll impact.
  
  

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure compliance with wage and hour laws, payroll regulations, collective bargaining agreements, company policies, and internal controls.
• Support internal and external audits by providing payroll documentation, explanations, and reporting in coordination with Compliance Analyst.
• Monitor adherence to payroll cutoff schedules and approval requirements.
• Assist in evaluating payroll processes and recommending control improvements.
  
  

Systems and Process Administration

• Maintain payroll system configurations and support payroll interfaces and integrations.
• Assist with payroll system testing, upgrades, and implementations.
• Manage payroll-related access requests and system administration functions.
• Review payroll system errors and coordinate resolution with IT and system support teams.
• Support business continuity activities and payroll contingency planning.
  
  

Reporting and Financial Support

• Prepare and review payroll reports, balancing documentation, and funding information.
• Support monthly accounting activities including payroll journal entries and reconciliations.
• Assist management with payroll metrics, trend analysis, and operational reporting.
• Maintain payroll records and supporting documentation in accordance with retention requirements.
  
  

Project and Continuous Improvement Responsibilities

• Lead or participate in payroll projects and process improvement initiatives.
• Develop and update payroll procedures and documentation.
• Identify opportunities to standardize processes, improve efficiency, and reduce risk.
• Support implementation of new payroll programs, policies, and technologies.
  
  

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Human Resources, Finance, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5 years of progressive payroll experience.
• Demonstrated experience processing complex multi-state payrolls.
• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, regulations, taxation, and payroll accounting.
• Experience using HRIS and payroll systems.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  
  

Preferred

• Prior leadership or supervisory experience.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation.
• Experience supporting Canadian payroll operations.
• Experience with union payroll environments.
  
  

Key Competencies

• Leadership and team development
• Customer service focus
• Payroll compliance expertise
• Problem solving and decision making
• Process improvement
• Attention to detail
• Collaboration and relationship building
• Time management and prioritization
• Confidentiality and ethical judgment
  
  

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises Payroll Specialists and/or Payroll Team Leads.
• Responsible for training, coaching, performance management, and workload distribution.
• Ensures appropriate staffing coverage and cross-functional support within the payroll team.
  
  

Working Conditions

• Fast-paced payroll environment with recurring critical deadlines.
• Extended hours may be required during payroll processing periods, month-end, year-end, system implementations, or special projects.
• Handles highly confidential employee, payroll, and financial information.
  
  

Excited about this role but don’t think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.

ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.

REF:113791BR