Accounting Manager: Payroll & Compliance

Job Summary

The Accounting Manager – Payroll & Compliance will oversee the end-to-end administration, execution, and financial alignment of our weekly and bi-weekly payroll operations. Reporting directly to the AVP of Finance, this role focuses on ensuring payroll processing accuracy, general ledger accuracy through payroll journals, and strict compliance with union and retirement reporting deadlines. The ideal candidate brings a strong operational accounting background with a deep expertise in managing high-volume payroll cycles and multi-layered benefit compliance.

A key focus of this position is serving as the organization’s subject-matter expert and strategic lead in establishing operational best practices for payroll benefits review and compliance. Partnering closely with the People & Organization (P&O) department, the Manager will bridge the gap between traditional payroll execution and accounting to ensure all benefit programs are executed seamlessly and meet the highest compliance standards. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Payroll Oversight & Timely Execution

• Manage and guarantee the accurate, timely preparation and execution of weekly and bi-weekly payroll cycles, which include a mix of salaried, hourly, and union employees.
• Ensure full compliance with New York and New Jersey wage and hour laws, standard withholding regulations, and internal policies.
• Review, verify, and reconcile payroll registers, deductions, garnishments, and final disbursements ahead of processing deadlines.

2. P&O Collaboration & Benefits Review Best Practices

• Partner closely with People & Organization (P&O) to execute comprehensive, routine audits of benefit elections, enrollment data, and payroll deductions.
• Take the lead in establishing industry best practices for payroll benefits review, ensuring a seamless data flow between P&O’s HR information systems and the payroll processing.
• Collaborate with P&O to review compliance on newly introduced fringe benefits, employee perks, and company-wide compensation adjustments, ensuring proper taxability and system configuration.

3. Payroll Accounting & Journal Entries

• Supervise the preparation, review, and post all payroll-related journal entries to ensure proper labor allocations and accurate financial reporting.
• Review monthly balance sheet reconciliations for all payroll, withholding, and benefit accounts, investigating and resolving any variances.
• Review weekly and bi-weekly payroll expenses to ensure exact alignment with the general ledger and operational budgets.
• Participate actively in the Fiscal Year Audit, serving as the primary point of contact for external auditors regarding payroll expenses, labor testing, and year-end accruals. 

4. Union Reporting & Retirement Compliance

• Oversee the generation, accuracy, and timely submission of all weekly, monthly and quarterly union-related reports, fringe benefit statements, and remittance payments.
• Ensure the timely processing and funding of retirement plan contributions (e.g., 401k deferrals and employer matches) in strict accordance with plan guidelines and regulatory timelines.
• Interpret collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) to ensure proper wage rates, benefit contributions, and specialized union deductions are accurately configured in the payroll system.

5. Specialized Audits, Analysis & Ad-Hoc Projects 

• Workers' Compensation Audit: Lead the data gathering, payroll classification reporting, and external coordination for the annual Workers' Compensation audit.
• Retirement Audit: Spearhead the documentation and preparation for the annual retirement plan audit, ensuring employee deductions and company matches perfectly reconcile with system records.
• 941 Reconciliation: Perform routine analysis of Form 941 filings against payroll registers and the general ledger to verify consistency across quarterly reporting periods.
• Drive continuous operational improvements, including payroll system optimizations, automation of manual tasks, assuring workflows are accurately documented and streamlining data flow between systems and internal departments.
• Finance Team Collaboration: Partner with the broader Finance team on various ad-hoc projects, including corporate budget forecasting, labor variance analysis, and internal compliance tracking as requested by the AVP of Finance. 

Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience: 5 years of progressive payroll management and payroll accounting experience, with at least 2 years of direct people management experience.
• Regulatory Agility: Demonstrated passion for and track record of staying ahead of federal, state (specifically NJ), and local employment law changes, with the ability to swiftly translate new regulations into operational reality.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong experience collaborating with HR/P&O teams to manage employee benefit reconciliations and optimize cross-departmental workflows.
• Union Expertise: Proven experience handling union payrolls, complex union reporting, and specialized benefit allocations is highly preferred.
• Technical & Analytical Skills: Advanced hands-on experience with major payroll platforms (e.g., ADP, Ultimate Software, Ceridian) and ERP general ledger systems. Expert-level Microsoft Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, data manipulation).
• Certifications: Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation is a strong plus. (Note: A CPA is not required for this operational, payroll-focused role).