Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager

Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

We're looking for a Payroll Manager who thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and enjoys solving problems, improving processes, and keeping operations running smoothly behind the scenes.

If you're someone who loves organization, can juggle competing deadlines, catches the details others miss, and enjoys making processes more efficient, we'd love to talk.

What You'll Do

• Own the end-to-end payroll process for a high-volume workforce across multiple entities and worker types.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately and on schedule, including regular and off-cycle payrolls.
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Operations, and internal leaders to resolve payroll questions and discrepancies quickly.
• Monitor and proactively resolve missing or late timecards before payroll deadlines.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local payroll regulations, including multiple worker classifications (W-2, T4, C2C, etc.).
• Drive payroll process improvements and automation opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce manual work.
• Support payroll system enhancements, including Bullhorn One payroll integrations.
• Analyze payroll data, identify trends, troubleshoot issues, and implement long-term solutions—not just quick fixes.
• Maintain confidentiality while handling highly sensitive employee and payroll information.

What We're Looking For

• 5 years of payroll experience, including experience managing high-volume payroll.
• Experience in staffing, consulting, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, logistics, or another environment with large employee populations is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of payroll compliance, tax regulations, and worker classifications.
• Experience processing multi-state payroll (Canadian payroll experience is a plus).
• Advanced attention to detail with a proven history of payroll accuracy.
• Comfortable working in a deadline-driven environment where priorities can shift quickly.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with payroll systems (Bullhorn One experience is a huge plus).
• Excellent communication skills with a customer-service mindset.
• Someone who naturally looks for ways to improve processes rather than simply maintaining them.

What Success Looks Like in your first year, you'll:

• Deliver accurate, on-time payroll every pay cycle.
• Help reduce manual payroll work through automation and system improvements.
• Resolve payroll inquiries quickly and proactively.
• Build scalable payroll processes that support Swoon's continued growth.
• Become the trusted payroll expert for employees, consultants, Finance, HR, and Operations.

Why Swoon?

We're growing, evolving, and investing in our operational infrastructure. You'll have the opportunity to make a real impact by improving processes, influencing systems, and helping support a rapidly growing workforce.

If you enjoy ownership, continuous improvement, and making sure people get paid accurately and on time, we'd love to meet you.