Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager

• Location: Washington, DC Metro Area (Hybrid)
• Compensation: 100,000-120,000 incentive
• Comprehensive Benefits Program

Position Summary

Our client, a well-established and growing commercial construction company serving the Washington, DC metropolitan area, is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to oversee all aspects of payroll operations for a multi-entity organization. Reporting to the Controller, this hands-on leader will ensure payroll is processed accurately and in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while supporting employees, project management, and executive leadership.

The ideal candidate possesses a strong background in construction payroll, certified payroll reporting, prevailing wage compliance, and union payroll administration. This individual will also drive process improvements, maintain internal controls, and ensure compliance across a growing workforce.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end payroll process for weekly and bi-weekly payrolls across multiple legal entities.
• Process payroll for salaried, hourly, union, and field employees while ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Administer prevailing wage and certified payroll reporting for federal, state, and local government projects.
• Ensure compliance with local wage requirements and applicable labor laws.
• Review employee time reporting, job cost allocations, and labor distribution prior to payroll processing.
• Manage payroll tax filings, garnishments, benefits deductions, PTO accruals, and year-end W-2 processing.
• Reconcile payroll accounts and prepare payroll-related journal entries for the general ledger.
• Coordinate payroll reporting for workers' compensation audits, insurance audits, and annual financial audits.
• Partner with Human Resources on employee onboarding, terminations, compensation changes, and benefits administration.
• Serve as the primary contact for employee payroll inquiries and resolve payroll discrepancies promptly.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations and recommend policy updates as needed.
• Develop and improve payroll procedures, internal controls, and process efficiencies.
• Supervise and mentor payroll staff while fostering a collaborative, customer-service focused environment.
• Support system upgrades, payroll implementations, and process automation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related discipline.
• 7 years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership responsibilities.
• Construction industry payroll experience is required.
• Strong knowledge of certified payroll, prevailing wage, and union payroll administration.
• Comprehensive understanding of payroll tax regulations and multi-state payroll compliance.
• Experience with construction ERP systems such as Viewpoint Vista, CMiC, Foundation, Sage 300 CRE, or similar platforms.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation is a plus.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with employees at all levels.
• Commercial construction or specialty contractor experience.
• Multi-company or multi-entity payroll environment.
• Experience supporting organizations with 200 employees.
• Familiarity with project costing, labor reporting, and workforce compliance requirements.
• Experience managing payroll system implementations or process improvement initiatives.