Lead Payroll Manager – Workday & Compliance

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Plainview (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Wellness programs

Job summary

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead our payroll operations in a cutting-edge research environment. This role manages end-to-end payroll processing in Workday for 1,000+ employees, handling complex tax reporting including 1042-S and W-2, and ensuring compliance and accuracy across all cycles.

The successful candidate will lead a payroll team, collaborate with HR and Finance, and drive process improvements to reduce errors and increase efficiency while

Qualifications

• Hands-on Workday payroll configuration, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with Form 1042-S preparation and withholding rules.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations.

Responsibilities

• Process end-to-end, multi-cycle payroll in Workday.
• Lead payroll staff and develop a high-performing team.
• Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory compliance of all payrolls.
• Oversee year-end tax reporting: W-2 and 1042-S.
• Coordinate with HR, Finance, and Grants to optimize cost distribution.
• Identify and implement payroll automation opportunities.
• Maintain internal controls and audit readiness across payroll.

Skills

Workday payroll

1042-S reporting

W-2 reporting

Foreign tax withholding

Team leadership

Tax compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Job description

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead our payroll operations in a cutting-edge research environment. This role manages end-to-end payroll processing in Workday for 1,000+ employees, handling complex tax reporting including 1042-S and W-2, and ensuring compliance and accuracy across all cycles.

The successful candidate will lead a payroll team, collaborate with HR and Finance, and drive process improvements to reduce errors and increase efficiency while