Payroll Manager - Atlanta

Jamestown

Human Resources Department

POSITION/LEVEL: Payroll Manager FLSA STATUS: Exempt

DEPT/OFFICE: Human Resources, Atlanta, Georgia DATE: December 2025

REPORTS TO: Director, Human Resources

The Payroll Manager is responsible for accurately processing weekly and bi-weekly payrolls, overseeing day-to-day payroll operations, ensuring compliance with payroll-related regulations, and managing employee records with a high degree of accuracy and confidentiality. This role covers all aspects of payroll processing, tax compliance, reporting, employee support, and communication. The Payroll Manager will also play a key role in handling audits, collaborating with HR and Finance teams, and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of payroll laws and best practices. This position requires strong attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines efficiently.

Essential Job Functions

Payroll Processing and Reporting

• Process union and part-time payroll weekly and bi-weekly payroll for non-union and full-time employees, ensuring accuracy and timely submission.
• Enter and validate time sheet adjustments, including overtime, bonuses, and corrections.
• Calculate and implement annual pay rate changes for union employees.
• Manage accurate 401(k) file feeds and submissions, ensuring consistency with employer contributions and Health Savings Account (HSA) amounts in ADP.
• Oversee the processing of leave-of-absence pay, termination payouts, retention/bonus payments, and manual checks as needed.
• Verify and confirm all new hire entries, including accuracy in tax information, pay setups, and allowances.
• Update and maintain State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) rates in ADP on an annual basis or as needed.
  
  

Compliance Management

• Respond to employee inquiries about payroll, deductions, timesheet discrepancies, and tax forms via phone and email.
• Facilitate communication between employees, HR, and department managers on payroll-related matters, including resolving payroll errors.
• Approve employee time-off requests and ensure proper PTO balances are maintained and adjusted when necessary.
• Process union audits and generate regular payroll reports to manage union 401(k) contributions, benefits, and dues.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local payroll laws, including maintaining proper state jurisdiction setups and updating SUI rates.
  
  

Employee Relations and Administrative Tasks

• Approve employee time-off requests and update PTO balances, making corrections when necessary.
• Address employee inquiries via phone and email regarding payroll, timesheets, or union benefits.
• Correct employee timesheet errors to ensure accuracy in payroll processing.
• Prepare termination paperwork for employees.
• Send welcome letters to new hires and notify appropriate teams of employee birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones.
  
  

Auditing and Documentation

• Conduct regular payroll audits, including annual 401(k) audits, to identify discrepancies and ensure compliance with policies.
• Reconcile payroll tax filings, ensuring accurate and timely submissions, including W-2s and corrected W-2Cs.
• Prepare and submit workers’ compensation claims as necessary.
• Create and maintain detailed payroll records, reports, and documentation for audit trails, ensuring confidentiality.
• Collaborate with internal and external auditors during financial or regulatory reviews.
  
  

MATERIAL & EQUIPMENT USED

• Microsoft Office Suite
• General Office Equipment
• ADP Payroll System
  
  

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in payroll management, including multi-state payroll and union payrolls.
• Proficiency in ADP Workforce Now or similar payroll systems.
• In-depth knowledge of payroll practices, federal/state tax regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve payroll discrepancies efficiently.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to meet multiple deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a customer service-oriented approach.
  
  

Licenses And Certifications

• CPP designation preferred
  
  

Knowledge Of

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES :

• Knowledge of all employment laws from the local, state and federal level
• Knowledge of MS Office & Outlook
• Knowledge of basic management tools and skills.
• ADP Payroll System
  
  

Skill In

• Organizational and interpersonal skills
• The ability to meet deadlines, accomplish work in order of priority; professionally maintain composure & effectiveness under pressure and changing conditions
• Self-motivation, leadership, teamwork and collaboration.
• Conflict Management Resolution
• Detailed oriented, logical, and methodical approach to problem solving
• Needs analysis and expense review and assessment.
• Written and verbal communication, including group presentations and vendor negotiations.
  
  

This job description should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirements of this job. Incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this specification. Any essential function or requirement of this job will be evaluated as necessary should an incumbent/applicant be unable to perform the function or requirement due to a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Reasonable accommodation for the specific disability will be made for the incumbent/applicant when possible.