HR Payroll & Compliance Lead for Multi-State Construction

Cinterra; Chapel Hill, Northern (NC, KY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Cinterra is seeking an experienced HR Manager to lead payroll operations, ensure certified payroll compliance, and manage a distributed workforce across multiple states. The role emphasizes HCM system management, regulatory adherence, and collaboration with project teams in a growing construction environment.

The successful candidate will oversee payroll audits, wage determinations, and labor reporting, while driving process improvements and data integrity across HR and finance functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years of HR/payroll experience, preferably in construction or transit industry
• In-depth knowledge of certified payroll, Davis-Bacon Act, and prevailing wage regulations
• Proven experience managing multi-state payroll and state-specific employment law
• Experience leading or contributing to HCM system implementations (e.g., ADP, Paycom, UKG)
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; able to manage deadlines and priorities
• Familiarity with union environments and workforce classifications is a plus
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Effective time management and prioritization to meet deadlines
• CPP/PHR/SPHR or SHRM-SCP preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead payroll team and ensure accurate, timely processing in compliance with laws and policies.
• Oversee regular and certified payroll processing per Davis-Bacon and prevailing wage regulations.
• Audit multi-state payroll operations and ensure adherence to state-specific labor laws and tax requirements.
• Lead responses to payroll audits and ensure records are audit-ready.
• Act as SME on transit labor requirements, workforce classifications, and reporting standards.
• Support implementation and optimization of a new HCM platform, including data migration and training.
• Collaborate with project managers on certified payroll reporting, job costing, and labor tracking.
• Maintain employee records, wage determinations, and benefits data in line with HR best practices.
• Interact with compliance officers and state/local agencies as needed.
• Analyze HR processes using HCM capabilities and ensure data privacy compliance.
• Develop HR reports for leadership and maintain data integrity.

Skills

Payroll operations

Certified payroll

Multi-state payroll

HCM systems

Davis-Bacon Act

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Analytical

Leadership

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business Administration

CPP/PHR/SPHR/SHRM-CP preferred

Tools

ADP

Paycom

UKG

Job description

Cinterra is seeking an experienced HR Manager to lead payroll operations, ensure certified payroll compliance, and manage a distributed workforce across multiple states. The role emphasizes HCM system management, regulatory adherence, and collaboration with project teams in a growing construction environment.

The successful candidate will oversee payroll audits, wage determinations, and labor reporting, while driving process improvements and data integrity across HR and finance functions.