Payroll Manager

Frederick Fox; Fort Worth, Town of Texas (TX, WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Frederick Fox is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead end-to-end payroll operations for a multi-state organization. You will oversee payroll tax compliance, reporting, and internal controls while guiding a payroll team and aligning with HR, Finance, and IT.

The role requires 8–12 years of progressive payroll experience, strong knowledge of regulations, and a CPA/CPP-style mindset. High-volume, multi-location exposure is preferred, with a focus on process improvements and system

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• CPP certification preferred or required.
• 8–12 years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership responsibilities.
• Experience managing payroll in a high-volume, multi-state environment.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax regulations, wage and hour laws, payroll compliance, and internal controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee end-to-end payroll processing across multiple locations and entities.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Oversee payroll audits, reconciliations, and payroll reporting.
• Develop and mentor payroll professionals, fostering a high-performing team.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, and IT on system enhancements and policy updates.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Multi-state payroll

Regulatory compliance

Internal controls

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/related field

Tools

CMiC

Workday

UKG

ADP

Oracle

SAP

Job description

Payroll Manager

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead end-to-end payroll operations for a multi-state organization. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing while overseeing payroll tax compliance, reporting, internal controls, and payroll systems. The Payroll Manager provides leadership to the payroll team, partners with cross-functional departments, and drives continuous process improvements to enhance payroll efficiency, scalability, and employee experience.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

• Lead and oversee the complete payroll process, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing across multiple locations and entities.
• Manage payroll operations in compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Ensure payroll records, earnings, deductions, and adjustments are processed accurately.
• Oversee payroll calendars, deadlines, and service delivery to support business operations.
• Manage payroll reporting, reconciliations, and month-end payroll activities.

Payroll Tax & Compliance

• Oversee payroll tax reporting, filings, reconciliations, and compliance with applicable regulations.
• Monitor legislative changes affecting payroll and implement necessary process or system updates.
• Ensure compliance with wage and hour laws, tax regulations, union agreements (where applicable), and company policies.
• Lead payroll audits and maintain strong internal controls to reduce organizational risk.
• Ensure confidentiality and security of payroll data and employee information.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop payroll professionals, fostering a high-performing and collaborative team environment.
• Establish performance expectations, provide coaching, and support career development initiatives.
• Oversee staffing, workload distribution, succession planning, and team capability development.
• Promote accountability, operational excellence, and continuous learning within the payroll function.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Manage payroll systems, integrations, and technology enhancements to improve operational efficiency and scalability.
• Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, testing, data validation, and process documentation.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and strengthen payroll controls.
• Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and best practices.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Benefits, and Technology teams to resolve payroll-related issues.
• Provide guidance on payroll policies, benefit deductions, compensation changes, and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as the primary payroll contact for internal stakeholders and external agencies.
• Support business initiatives involving payroll integrations, acquisitions, reorganizations, or system changes.

Reporting & Analytics

• Develop payroll reports, dashboards, and workforce analytics to support business decision-making.
• Analyze payroll trends, staffing needs, and operational performance metrics.
• Provide recommendations to improve payroll efficiency, compliance, and resource planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification preferred or required.
• 8–12 years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership responsibilities.
• Experience managing payroll in a high-volume, multi-state environment.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax regulations, wage and hour laws, payroll compliance, and internal controls.
• Experience with payroll audits, reconciliations, and payroll reporting.
• Strong understanding of payroll systems, ERP platforms, and system integrations.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with construction, manufacturing, healthcare, or other complex, multi-location organizations.
• Experience managing union payroll and job costing.
• Familiarity with payroll platforms such as CMiC, Workday, UKG, ADP, Oracle, SAP, or similar ERP/payroll systems.
• Experience leading payroll shared services or enterprise payroll operations.
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations or digital transformation initiatives.