Accounting Payroll Manager

Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC; Gillette (WY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC is seeking a Payroll / Accounting Manager to own accurate, on-time payroll and day-to-day accounting operations.

Reporting to the Director of Accounting Operations, this role leads payroll processing, general ledger activity, month-end close and compliance, and supervises all payroll staff. Extended hours are required at month-end, quarter-end and year-end.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required; professional certifications preferred.
• 5+ years payroll and accounting experience; 2+ years in a supervisory role.
• Experience with processing payroll for 1,200+ employees.
• Proficiency with GAAP, payroll tax rules, and wage-and-hour laws.
• Strong Excel skills and advanced payroll system experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll for all employees on bi-weekly cycle.
• Lead month-end and year-end close, including journal entries.
• Oversee payroll tax returns and year-end filings.
• Supervise payroll staff and coordinate with HR on benefits.
• Maintain general ledger payroll accounts and internal controls.
• Partner with HR on onboarding and compensation changes.

Skills

Payroll processing

GAAP knowledge

Multi-state payroll

Leadership

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Certifications preferred (CPP/CPA/MBA/CMA)

Tools

ADP

Paylocity

UKG

Paycom

Ellipse ERP

Job description

Payroll / Accounting Manager

Description

Must take a personal and active approach to health, safety and environment and understand and follow all state, federal and company health, safety and environmental requirements applicable to the work area and tasks assigned.

Summary of Position

The Payroll / Accounting Manager owns accurate, on-time payroll and day-to-day accounting operations for NTEC. Reporting to the Director Accounting Operations within Finance & Accounting, this role leads payroll processing, general ledger activity, month-end close and compliance, and supervises all payroll staff. Extended hours are required at month-end, quarter-end and year-end.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll for all employees on a bi-weekly cycle, including hourly, salaried exempt, salaried nonexempt and union employees.
• Oversight responsibility and review to ensure the accuracy of all payroll functions, including:
• Timekeeping, overtime, shift differentials, bonuses before each payroll run.
• Deductions and withholdings: benefits, 401(k), garnishments, child support and tax levies.
• New hires, terminations, final pay, pay changes and multi-state payroll where applicable.
• Reconciliation of payroll registers to the general ledger each pay period.
• Federal, state and local payroll tax returns (Forms 941, 940, state unemployment and withholding).
• Year-end payroll: W-2s, W-2c corrections and year-end reconciliations.
• Serve as the point of contact for employee pay questions and resolve discrepancies quickly.
• Lead month-end and year-end close, including journal entries, accruals, prepaids and account reconciliations.
• Oversee vendor payments.
• Maintain the general ledger payroll accounts to ensure transactions are coded correctly.
• Support the annual budget, forecasting and variance analysis, including budget/forecast preparation for SG&A and operating sites as needed.
• Prepare schedules and support for the annual audit, 401(k) plan audit and tax filings.
• Keep payroll and accounting practices compliant with FLSA, IRS, state wage-and-hour laws and GAAP.
• Design and maintain internal controls, segregation of duties and approval workflows.
• Monitor changes in tax rates and payroll regulations and update systems accordingly.
• Responsible for understanding and implementing new payroll laws and regulations, including updating systems and testing for accuracy.
• Maintain confidential employee and financial records securely.
• Supervise, train and review all payroll staff.
• Administer the payroll/HRIS and accounting systems; lead process improvements and automation, including:
• Managing system upgrades and coordinating timelines for testing and implementation.
• Assisting with reporting needs.
• Problem-solving system issues.
• Partner with HR on benefits, onboarding and compensation changes.
• Participate in the implementation of new benefit plans, including changes to administrators, updating systems and testing for accuracy.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Necessary Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field, or equivalent experience; CPP (Certified Payroll Professional), CPA, MBA or CMA certification preferred.
• 5+ years of combined payroll and accounting experience, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Hands-on experience processing full-cycle payroll for 1,200+ employees, preferred.
• Experience in energy, utilities, construction or another field-workforce industry preferred.
• Working knowledge of GAAP, federal and state payroll tax rules and wage-and-hour law.
• Experience with month-end close, account reconciliations and journal entries.
• Proficiency with a payroll/HRIS platform (e.g., ADP, Paylocity, UKG, Paycom) and an accounting/ERP system (Ellipse).
• Multi-state payroll and union or prevailing-wage payroll experience preferred.
• Experience leading a payroll or ERP system implementation preferred.Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups and reconciliation workbooks.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Project management experience.
• Exceptional accuracy, with the ability to catch errors before they reach an employee’s paycheck or the financial statements.
• Strong deadline management, delivering payroll and close on schedule, every cycle.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain pay and accounting issues clearly to employees, managers and auditors.
• Demonstrated leadership in developing staff and building repeatable, documented processes.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to trace discrepancies to root cause and fix the process, not just the transaction.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is required to frequently sit with frequent forward bending and occasional rotation. The employee must rarely lift, carry and/or move up to 13 pounds and rarely lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The employee is required rarely push or pull up to 45 pounds horizontally. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required occasionally to walk; climb stairs; and stand with rare rotation. Rarely the employee is required to squat repetitively or reach up to 74”. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Working Environment

Works in office environment and rarely site environment. This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

A review of this position has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently with or without accommodation. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. The above job profile reflects the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities for this position and is not intended to be all encompassing. Other duties and responsibilities may be expected based on operational and departmental needs.