Certified Payroll & Compliance Lead

Encore Fire Protection; Pawtucket (RI); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Health benefits

401(k) with company match

Life insurance

Job summary

Encore Fire Protection is seeking a seasoned professional to own Certified Payroll and Prevailing Wage functions. The role requires interpreting regulatory requirements, ensuring compliant payroll practices, and guiding team members across multiple states.

The ideal candidate will serve as the primary resource for complex wage issues, partner with Operations and Project teams, and help implement scalable processes while supporting audits and government requests.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of payroll experience with direct Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage experience.
• Proficiency in Excel; formulas, pivot tables, data management.
• Sage 300 CRE experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage compliance across multiple states.
• Review projects to identify applicable payroll and reporting requirements.
• Oversee preparation and timely submission of certified payroll reports (WH-347 and others).
• Coordinate with Operations, Project Management, Contracting, and Payroll to ensure upfront compliance.

Skills

Certified Payroll

Prevailing Wage

Excel

Sage 300 CRE

Dayforce

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/HR/Accounting/Finance

Job description

Who We Are

At Encore Fire Protection, we are proud to be the east coast's largest full-service fire protection company, serving over 90,000 customers from Maine to Louisiana. With a team of over 2,200 dedicated employees, we provide innovative, customized fire suppression, fire sprinkler, and fire alarm solutions that protect lives and properties every day.

Our goal is to deliver superior experience to those who trust us to safeguard what matters most. We are passionate about continuous growth, innovation, and maintaining a culture that thrives on success and commitment to safety. Our mission?To be the best fire protection company the industry has ever seen.

The Opportunity

The primary focus of this role is taking ownership of the Certified Payroll and Prevailing Wage function, while also supporting broader payroll compliance. The ideal candidate will be a subject matter expert in the regulatory requirements and underlying compliance principles associated with certified payroll, going beyond just preparing andsubmittingreports. This role requires someone who can interpret requirements,identifypotential compliance risks, and ensure payroll practices and documentation consistently meet applicable federal, state, and local regulations. The person we hire will serve as the primary resource for complex prevailingwageand certified payroll matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Strong hands-on experience with Certified Payroll and Prevailing Wage compliance.

• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local payroll compliance requirements, particularly in a multi-state environment.

• Knowledge of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, state and local prevailing wage requirements, wage determinations, employee classifications, base wage rates, fringe benefit requirements, and overtime calculations.

• Lead the review of new projects and jobs toidentifyapplicable prevailingwage, certifiedpayroll, reporting, and documentation requirements.

• Partner closely with Operations, Project Management, Contracting, and Payroll to ensure compliance requirements areidentifiedand addressed at the beginning of a project.

• Oversee the preparation, review, andtimelysubmission of certified payroll reports, including WH-347 and other federal, state, local, customer, or project-specific reports.

• Manage certified payroll requirements across multiple states, projects, and reporting platforms.

• Hands-on experience with Elation Systems, EMARS,LCPtracker, and/or similar certified payroll compliance platforms.

• Research, interpret, and resolve complex wage, fringe, classification, reporting, and documentation issues.

• Manage rejected reports, corrections, missing documentation, compliance notices, and other outstanding items through resolution.

• Provide day-to-day guidance and support to team members involved in certified payroll activities, including reviewing work and helping prioritize deadlines, while also serving as the escalation point for complex certified payroll & prevailing wage questions.

• Develop andmaintainstandardized procedures, documentation, controls, and tracking to support an effective and scalable certified payroll process.

• Support audits and requests from government agencies, general contractors, customers, and internal stakeholders.

What You Bring to the Table

• 5+ years of payroll experience with direct Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage experience, preferably in a construction, service-based or multi-state environment.

• Proficiencyin Excelincludingformulas, pivot tables, and organized data management.

• Sage 300 CRE experience preferred.

• Dayforce experience preferred, particularly experience supporting system implementation, testing, or prevailing wage configuration.

• Clear and professional communication skills with the ability to guide employees and internal teams.

• A proactive, accountable mindset with the desire to improve processes andmaintainhigh accuracy.

• Familiarity with AIA contracts/billing and construction project documentation preferred.

What Will Make You Stand Out?

• You have abachelor’s degree in Business, HR, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

• Previousexperience leading a team, and/or process ownership experience.

• You have experience working in a private equity-backed environment or within a scaling, growth-oriented business.

#LI-ED1

Beyond the Paycheck

At Encore,we’reall about creating a culture where success is celebrated. We recognize that our work makes people’s lives safer, and we reward those who contribute to our growth.Here’swhat you can expect:

• Competitive Salary: Compensationcommensuratewith your experience, with the opportunity to earn performance-based bonuses tied to your personal effectiveness and contributions to the team.

• Purpose-Driven Work Environment: We believe in working smarter, not harder.You’llbe part of a culture that values results, and we empower our team to focus on impactful work.

• Flexible Dress Code: Upon joining,you’llreceivebrandedEncore swag, and we believe in dressing for theobjective, not the occasion. Most days, you can enjoy a casual work environment, butwe’lldress up when the situation calls for it.

• People-Focused Culture: We know our greatest strength is our people.That’swhywe’vebuilt a culture that encourages experimentation, learning, and improving together.You’llhave the space to share your ideas and help shape a company that is constantly growing.

• Tools for Success:Access to leading-edge web-based productivity tools.

• Health and Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverageto keep you and your family healthy.

• Retirement Planning: Participation in our Fidelity 401(k) plan with a company match, helping you save for your future.

• Life Insurance: Company-paid life insurance policy of $50,000 to give you peace of mind.

EEO Statement

Encore Fire Protection is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Encore Fire Protection is an E-Verify Employer.

As an EEO/AA employer, Encore Fire Protection considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminatebased on gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, race, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.