Payroll Accounting Project Lead - Systems & Compliance

Penske; Reading, Northern (Berks County, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Penske is seeking a Payroll Accounting Project Manager to lead payroll accounting projects, financial analysis, and systems-related improvements from planning through implementation. You will partner across Payroll, Finance, HR, IT, and external service providers to ensure accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.

The role focuses on analytics, internal controls, system enhancements, acquisitions, automation, and cross-functional leadership, with a hybrid work arrangement (4 days onsite/1 day

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, project management, or related field required.
• 5+ years of experience in payroll accounting, accounting, finance, or related function.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects, process improvement initiatives, or system implementations preferred.
• Experience with payroll, accounting, reporting, and enterprise systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities, including payroll-related journal entries, accruals, reclasses, reconciliations, variance analyses, and supporting schedules.
• Analyze payroll accounting data to identify trends, discrepancies, root causes, and opportunities to improve accuracy, controls, and efficiency.
• Ensure payroll-related transactions are accurately recorded, reconciled, monitored, and reported within accounting and payroll systems.
• Develop and maintain reporting, analytics, measures, and metrics to support payroll accounting decision-making and process performance.
• Manage payroll accounting and payroll-related projects, including project plans, timelines, resource needs, risks, milestones, deliverables, documentation, implementation, and post-deployment review.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives involving Payroll, HR, Finance, IT, Benefits, Legal, and external vendors.
• Monitor project progress and communicate status, risks, recommendations, and outcomes to stakeholders and leadership.
• Identify and implement opportunities to streamline processes, automate manual activities, strengthen controls, and improve operational efficiency.

Skills

Advanced Excel

SQL

Data analysis

Communication skills

Project management

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree (accounting/finance/business/PM)

Tools

Enterprise systems

Job description

Penske is seeking a Payroll Accounting Project Manager to lead payroll accounting projects, financial analysis, and systems-related improvements from planning through implementation. You will partner across Payroll, Finance, HR, IT, and external service providers to ensure accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.

The role focuses on analytics, internal controls, system enhancements, acquisitions, automation, and cross-functional leadership, with a hybrid work arrangement (4 days onsite/1 day