Payroll Manager – Multi-State & Systems Implementation

Payroll Manager

Work Arrangement: 100% onsite, Monday through Friday

Salary Range: $106,000–$135,000 annually

Job Type: Direct Hire

Position Overview

This company is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to serve as the organization’s payroll subject matter expert and lead all aspects of payroll operations in a dynamic, multi-state environment. This highly visible position is responsible for payroll processing, regulatory compliance, audits, reporting, system integrity, team leadership, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate will have strong multi-state payroll expertise and hands-on experience leading a payroll software implementation, conversion, or integration project. This individual will partner closely with Human Resources, Finance, Benefits, IT, and business leaders to maintain accurate, compliant, and efficient payroll operations while delivering an exceptional employee experience.

Essential Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee weekly, biweekly, and off-cycle payroll processing, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.
• Review and approve payroll calculations, including regular and overtime earnings, bonuses, commissions, paid time off, leave payments, deductions, garnishments, and tax withholdings.
• Manage and develop payroll team members while establishing clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and internal controls.
• Serve as Riley Power’s payroll subject matter expert, researching and resolving complex payroll, tax, wage-and-hour, and compliance matters.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, wage-and-hour laws, tax requirements, and company policies.
• Lead or support payroll software implementations, system conversions, upgrades, integrations, testing, data validation, and post-implementation stabilization.
• Develop project plans, document requirements, coordinate user-acceptance testing, identify risks, and ensure successful delivery of payroll-system initiatives.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Benefits, IT, and business leaders to improve payroll processes, system functionality, reporting, and the employee experience.
• Oversee payroll audits, general-ledger reconciliations, payroll account reconciliations, funding validation, and resolution of discrepancies.
• Maintain the accuracy and integrity of payroll data, employee records, tax information, system configurations, and interfaces.
• Manage payroll-related vendor relationships and secure data integrations for benefits, retirement plans, timekeeping, tax filing, and other third-party services.
• Coordinate quarter-end and year-end payroll activities, including tax reconciliations, W-2 processing, amendments, and regulatory filings.
• Establish, document, and maintain payroll policies, standard operating procedures, approval workflows, and internal controls.
• Prepare payroll reports, metrics, forecasts, and analyses for internal leadership, auditors, and external stakeholders.
• Respond to employee payroll questions and resolve escalated issues promptly, accurately, and professionally.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes, strengthen controls, reduce errors, and improve payroll efficiency.
• Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation, responding to inquiries, and implementing corrective actions when necessary.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and security of employee, payroll, banking, and personally identifiable information.

Required Qualifications

• Five or more years of progressive payroll experience in a mid-sized or large corporate environment.
• Strong hands-on experience administering multi-state payroll.
• Demonstrated experience leading or playing a key role in a payroll software implementation, conversion, upgrade, or systems-integration project.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, payroll taxes, wage-and-hour laws, garnishments, and employee benefit deductions.
• Experience with payroll audits, general-ledger reconciliations, quarter-end processing, year-end processing, and W-2 administration.
• Previous experience supervising, mentoring, or leading payroll professionals.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup functions, complex formulas, data validation, and large-data analysis.
• Strong analytical, organizational, project-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet strict payroll deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across HR, Finance, Benefits, IT, and business operations.
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with accuracy, professionalism, and discretion.
• Ability to work onsite five days per week

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
• Experience with payroll, HRIS, ERP, timekeeping, and general-ledger system integrations.
• Experience managing relationships with payroll vendors, tax providers, benefits administrators, and retirement-plan providers.
• Global or international payroll exposure.
• Experience improving payroll controls, developing standard operating procedures, and automating payroll processes.