Payroll Manager

The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel; New York (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel in New York is seeking a Payroll Manager to lead weekly payroll processing, maintain controls, and ensure regulatory compliance for all employees.

You will collaborate with Human Resources and Finance, manage timekeeping, contract labor reporting, year-end payroll tasks, and support budgeting and forecasting with accurate labor data.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years of payroll experience, preferably in hospitality.
• Strong knowledge of NYC, NYS, and federal payroll regulations.
• Experience with payroll accounting, general ledger reconciliations, and cash management.
• Proficiency in payroll and timekeeping systems, Microsoft Excel, and accounting software.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, meet strict deadlines, and work collaboratively with department leadership.

Responsibilities

• Process weekly payroll for all hourly and salaried employees, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
• Review employee timecards, overtime, holiday pay, PTO, payroll adjustments, and timekeeping exceptions in coordination with department managers.
• Review payroll registers and submit to the DHR and DOF for approval.
• Process off-cycle payments, retroactive adjustments, and payroll corrections as needed.
• Ensure compliance with federal, NYS, and NYC wage and hour regulations, including overtime, spread-of-hours, and tipped employee requirements where applicable.
• Maintain accurate payroll records, deductions, benefit contributions, and tax withholding; conduct periodic audits and coordinate year-end W-2 reconciliation.
• Liaise with the payroll vendor to resolve system issues, tax notices, payroll discrepancies, and other inquiries, coordinating requests from the DHR, DOF, and hotel leadership as needed.

Skills

Payroll experience

Regulatory knowledge

Excel

Accounting software

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Confidentiality

Tools

Payroll software

Timekeeping systems

Job description

Our heart, head and hands play a part in everything we do. By caring about the art of hospitality and perfecting every detail, we work together to uplift the lives of others. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of providing an unrivalled service that is greatly admired.

On a leafy stretch of the Upper East Side, just moments from Central Park, a New York icon returns. Once a discreet address, The Surrey has been reimagined as a Corinthia hotel, where Manhattan glamour is paired with considered design, warm hospitality and a deep connection to its neighborhood. Rooted in heritage and attuned to the present, The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel invites a new generation to experience the Upper East Side with the ease of a local and the elegance of a classic

The Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel is seeking to recruit a Payroll Manager. The Payroll Manager & General Cashier is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of weekly payroll, oversight of in-house and third-party contract labor reporting, payroll accounting and reconciliations, and general cashier functions. This position ensures compliance with applicable payroll regulations, maintains strong internal controls, and supports the hotel's financial reporting and labor management objectives.

Summary of Responsibilities

Payroll Processing & Compliance

• Process weekly payroll for all hourly and salaried employees, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
• Review employee timecards, overtime, holiday pay, PTO, payroll adjustments, and timekeeping exceptions in coordination with department managers.
• Review payroll registers and submit to the Director of Human Resources (DHR) and Director of Finance (DOF) for approval.
• Process off-cycle payments, retroactive adjustments, and payroll corrections as needed.
• Ensure compliance with federal, NYS, and NYC wage and hour regulations, including overtime, spread-of-hours, and tipped employee requirements where applicable.
• Maintain accurate payroll records, deductions, benefit contributions, and tax withholding; conduct periodic audits and coordinate year-end W-2 reconciliation.
• Liaise with the payroll vendor to resolve system issues, tax notices, payroll discrepancies, and other inquiries, coordinating requests from the DHR, DOF, and hotel leadership as needed.

Labor Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare weekly overtime critique reports and consolidated labor reports for both in-house employees and third-party contract labor.
• Reconcile reported contract labor hours against vendor invoices to ensure accurate reporting and billing.
• Analyze labor expenses against budget and forecast, identifying significant variances and opportunities for improved efficiency.
• Provide payroll and labor data to support financial forecasting and annual budgeting.

Payroll Accounting & Reconciliations

• Prepare and post payroll journal entries, ensuring accurate departmental allocation.
• Prepare payroll accruals for wages, overtime, bonuses, vacation, and other compensation-related expenses.
• Reconcile payroll-related balance sheet accounts, including taxes, benefits, garnishments, accrued wages, and other payroll liabilities.
• Oversee daily cash handling, cashier deposits, and bank deposit preparation.
• Maintain and reconcile petty cash, general cashier funds, departmental cash floats, and cash advances, ensuring accurate documentation and accountability.
• Monitor cash overages and shortages, investigate discrepancies, and promptly report findings to the DHR, DOF, and Assistant Director of Finance (ADOF).
• Prepare general cashier journal entries and complete assigned cash-related balance sheet reconciliations.
• Ensure compliance with hotel cash handling procedures and internal controls.

Departmental Support & Special Projects

• Serve as the primary contact for payroll inquiries and resolve discrepancies promptly and confidentially.
• Partner with Human Resources and department managers on payroll changes, timekeeping approvals, and compliance requirements.
• Train department leaders on payroll procedures, deadlines, and timekeeping expectations.
• Maintain appropriate segregation of duties, payroll approvals, and audit documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, automate processes, and strengthen internal controls.
• Prepare, review, and post additional journal entries as assigned, ensuring accuracy, appropriate approvals, and supporting documentation.

Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years of payroll experience, preferably in hospitality.
• Strong knowledge of NYC, NYS, and federal payroll regulations.
• Experience with payroll accounting, general ledger reconciliations, and cash management.
• Proficiency in payroll and timekeeping systems, Microsoft Excel, and accounting software.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, meet strict deadlines, and work collaboratively with department leadership.