Construction Payroll Lead — Union & Certified Payroll

LHH; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Short-term disability

Voluntary benefits

EAP program

Commuter benefits

401K plan

Job summary

LHH is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager for our Walnut Creek, CA team. The role oversees end-to-end payroll for salaried, hourly, union, and non-union staff across multiple entities, with a strong emphasis on certified payroll and prevailing wage compliance.

You will lead a payroll team, ensure timely processing of diverse pay cycles, and partner with HR, Accounting, and Operations to resolve issues and support workforce planning.

Qualifications

• Eight or more years of payroll management experience within the construction industry.
• Experience with union payroll administration and collective bargaining agreements.
• Extensive knowledge of certified payroll and prevailing wage requirements.
• Experience processing multi-state payroll for large employee populations.
• Understanding of job costing, labor allocation, and project-based payroll structures.
• Working knowledge of payroll tax regulations and compliance requirements.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll for salaried, hourly, union, and non-union employees.
• Ensure timely processing of weekly, bi-weekly, and special payroll cycles.
• Oversee certified payroll reporting for public works and prevailing wage projects.
• Maintain compliance with union collective bargaining agreements, including dues, fringes, and benefit contributions.
• Review and validate timecards, job costing allocations, and labor distribution reporting.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations.
• Manage payroll tax filings, garnishments, deductions, and year-end processing (W‑2).
• Partner with HR, Accounting, Project Management, and Operations to resolve payroll issues.
• Prepare payroll-related reports for leadership, audits, and external agencies.
• Lead payroll audits and support internal and external compliance reviews.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and system enhancements.
• Supervise and develop payroll staff, providing training and performance guidance.

Skills

Payroll management

Supervisory experience

Multi-entity payroll

Union payroll administration

Certified payroll knowledge

Job costing

Excel advanced

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business

Tools

ADP payroll software

Microsoft Excel (Advanced)

Job description

LHH is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager for our Walnut Creek, CA team. The role oversees end-to-end payroll for salaried, hourly, union, and non-union staff across multiple entities, with a strong emphasis on certified payroll and prevailing wage compliance.

You will lead a payroll team, ensure timely processing of diverse pay cycles, and partner with HR, Accounting, and Operations to resolve issues and support workforce planning.