Lead, Payroll Manager

Success Academy Charter Schools; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off (20 days)

Major holidays off

3% employer match on 403(b)

Premium healthcare benefits (medical,

FSAs and commuter benefits

Job summary

Success Academy Charter Schools is seeking a Lead Payroll professional to manage end-to-end payroll for 3,000+ employees. You will report to the Leader of Finance Operations and lead a small team, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely processing.

The role requires CPP or FPC, 8+ years in payroll, and strong ADP/Workday experience, with advanced Excel skills for complex reporting.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience, including supervision.
• Active CPP or FPC designation required.
• Experience with ADP; Workday is strongly preferred.
• Advanced Excel skills for data manipulation and reporting.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Federal, State, and Local payroll laws (FLSA).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end payroll for 3,000+ employees with semi-monthly and bi-weekly cycles.
• Serve as SME for payroll regulations, especially NY and multi-state jurisdictions.
• Oversee deductions, taxes, and 403(b) contributions and other benefits.
• Manage HRIS-payroll system integrations and data integrity.
• Oversee annual W-2s and respond to audits and inquiries.
• Partner with Benefits, HR, FP&A, and Accounting; manage brokers and advisors.
• Identify opportunities to automate and streamline payroll processes.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Regulatory compliance

Excel mastery

Change management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business

Tools

ADP

Workday

Job description

Thanks for your interest in Success Academy! Running a large, fast-growing, and high-performing network of public charter schools takes a village - families, children, teachers, staff and faculty, advocates, and supporters alike. We are growing fast in New York and expanding to Florida, and we would love to welcome you to our community! We work tirelessly every day to ensure children have access to a fun, rigorous, whole-child education regardless of zip code or economic status. When you join SA, you play a part in giving every student who walks through our doors a fair shot at reaching his or her potential.

Success Academy Charter Schools is a high-energy, fast-paced network of dual-mission public charter schools dedicated to closing the achievement gap and providing a world-class education to all children. We hold ourselves to incredibly high standards, and our central network office operates with the same relentless pursuit of excellence as our classrooms.

Role Overview

As the Lead Payroll, you will hold primary day-to-day responsibility for the end-to-end payroll operations of a complex, 3,000+ employee organization. Reporting directly to the Leader of Finance Operations, you will manage a dedicated team of 1–2 specialists and serve as a strategic change agent, bridging the gap between routine processing and high-level financial transformation.

Core Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: Execute and oversee semi-monthly and bi-weekly payroll for 3,000+ employees, ensuring 100% accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Regulatory Expertise: Serve as the resident Subject Matter Expert (SME) for payroll regulations, specifically for New York State and multi-state US jurisdictions.
• Deductions Management: Maintain deep technical knowledge of withholdings, including complex payroll taxes, medical elections, 403(b) contributions, garnishments, and diverse benefit deductions.
• Systems & Integration: Lead the maintenance and optimization of integrations between the HRIS and payroll processing systems.
• Compliance & Audit: Drive the issuance of annual W-2 statements and manage all internal/external audit inquiries.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Act as a critical business partner to Benefits, HR, FP&A, and Accounting. Manage external vendor relationships, including brokers and 403(b) financial advisors.
• Transformation & Innovation: Proactively identify opportunities to automate, optimize, and audit the payroll lifecycle to increase compliance, streamline workflows, and reduce manual overhead.

Requirements & Qualifications

Education & Certification

Degree: Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required.

Certification: Active Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) designation is required.

Technical Skills & Experience

Direct Experience: 8+ years of progressive payroll experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity.

Software Proficiency: Experience with ADP is required; experience with Workday is strongly preferred.

Excel Mastery: Advanced data manipulation skills, including multi-function formulas, pivot tables, and sophisticated data formatting.

Regulatory Knowledge: Comprehensive, up-to-date understanding of Federal, State, and Local laws, including FLSA.

Leadership & Soft Skills

Change Management: Proven ability to act as a "change agent," bringing transformation experience to an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, and high-volume environment.

Communication: Refined emotional intelligence with the ability to influence stakeholders, deliver exceptional internal customer service, and negotiate buy-in across departments.

Critical Thinking: A hands-on problem solver who can easily balance granular detail with big-picture process improvement.

At Success Academy, we know that our extraordinary team is our greatest asset. We offer a highly competitive compensation package designed to support your well-being, financial future, and work-life balance:

Generous Paid Time Off: Enjoy 20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) annually to rest and recharge.

Paid Holidays: Take a well-deserved break with all major holidays off.

Retirement Security: A 3% employer match on your 403(b) retirement plan to help you build long-term wealth.

Comprehensive Benefits: Access to full, premium healthcare benefits (medical, dental, and vision insurance), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and pre-tax commuter benefits.

Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. This position is not bonus eligible.

Compensation Range

$150,000 - $180,000 USD

Success Academy Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. Success Academy offers a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth.

Success Academy Charter Schools does not offer employment-based immigration sponsorship.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We actively seek applications from people of all backgrounds to strengthen our community and the perspectives needed to flourish in a multicultural world.