What are the responsibilities and job description for the Payroll Manager position at LHH?
Payroll Manager (Contract to hire)
Location: Tempe, AZ
Schedule: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote)
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (flexibility available)
Compensation: $100,000 to $125,000 DOE bonus
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead and oversee payroll operations for a large, multi-state workforce for thousands of employees in multiple states. This role requires a positive, hands on leader who can provide strong support and direction to the payroll team. The ideal candidate is comfortable being closely involved in day to day operations, holding team members accountable, and providing the guidance needed to help the team succeed. Success in this position comes from balancing a firm leadership style with a supportive, approachable presence that fosters trust, collaboration, and development.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage the end to end payroll process across multiple locations and jurisdictions
- Ensure accurate and timely processing of payroll, including earnings, deductions, taxes, garnishments, and benefits
- Lead, mentor, and develop payroll staff while establishing best practices and process improvements
- Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations
- Oversee payroll audits, reconciliations, and reporting activities
- Partner with Human Resources, Accounting, and Finance teams to ensure payroll accuracy and compliance
- Analyze payroll data and trends, identify discrepancies, and implement corrective actions
- Manage payroll related month end activities, account reconciliations, and reporting requirements
- Support system upgrades, implementations, testing, and enhancements within payroll and ERP platforms
- Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls
- Serve as the primary escalation point for complex payroll issues and employee inquiries
Qualifications
- Minimum of 3 years of payroll leadership experience
- Experience processing large volume payrolls for organizations with thousands of employees
- Strong knowledge of multi-state payroll laws, tax regulations, and compliance requirements
- Experience working within a large ERP platform such as Oracle, SAP, Workday, UKG, Dayforce, ADP, or similar systems
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas, data analysis, and reporting
- Strong analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast paced environment
- Union payroll experience is highly preferred
- CPP certification is a plus but not required
Salary : $100,000 - $125,000