Payroll Manager

London Approach; Newark (DE); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

London Approach in Newark, Delaware seeks a Payroll Manager to own end-to-end payroll for a multi-state workforce. This hands-on role partners with HR, Accounting, Benefits, and IT to ensure accurate, timely payroll and strong internal controls.

You will manage payroll changes, tax updates, year-end tasks, 401(k) and profit-sharing activities, system maintenance, and continuous process improvements while staying current with wage-and-hour laws.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, HR, or related field.
• 5–7+ years of progressive payroll experience.
• Experience with multi-state payroll and tax updates.
• Hands-on with ADP Workforce Now preferred.
• Strong Excel and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute end-to-end payroll processing for a multi-state employee population.
• Process and review employee payroll changes including new hires, terminations, promotions, deductions, garnishments, bonuses, and tax updates.
• Maintain hands-on expertise across payroll processes, system functionality, reporting, controls, and compliance requirements.
• Perform payroll reconciliations and partner with Accounting on general ledger activity and month-end, quarter-end, and year-end processes.
• Manage payroll tax reporting and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Lead quarter-end and year-end processing, including W-2 preparation, reconciliation, and validation.
• Manage payroll-related 401(k) and profit-sharing activities, including employee contribution submissions, annual census preparation, testing validation, match true-ups, and related reporting.
• Administer and maintain the payroll system, including configuration updates, testing, upgrades, troubleshooting, and issue resolution.
• Identify outdated or inefficient payroll processes and implement improvements, automation, and stronger controls.
• Develop, document, and maintain payroll procedures, workflows, and internal controls.
• Support internal and external payroll audits and provide requested documentation.
• Research and resolve payroll errors, discrepancies, tax issues, and employee inquiries.
• Partner closely with Human Resources, Accounting, Benefits, IT, payroll vendors, benefit providers, and auditors.

Skills

Payroll processing

Multi-state payroll

Excel

Internal controls

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/HR

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Job description

An established organization is seeking a Payroll Manager to take hands-on ownership of its payroll function. This role is ideal for a payroll professional who enjoys being close to the work, understands payroll operations inside and out, and can identify opportunities to modernize processes, strengthen controls, and improve efficiency.

The Payroll Manager will initially operate as a highly hands-on individual contributor, partnering closely with Human Resources, Accounting, Benefits, IT, and senior leadership. As the function evolves, there is potential to add additional payroll support.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute end-to-end payroll processing for a multi-state employee population, ensuring accurate and timely payroll delivery.
• Process and review employee payroll changes including new hires, terminations, promotions, deductions, garnishments, bonuses, and tax updates.
• Maintain hands-on expertise across payroll processes, system functionality, reporting, controls, and compliance requirements.
• Perform payroll reconciliations and partner with Accounting on general ledger activity and month-end, quarter-end, and year-end processes.
• Manage payroll tax reporting and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Lead quarter-end and year-end processing, including W-2 preparation, reconciliation, and validation.
• Manage payroll-related 401(k) and profit-sharing activities, including employee contribution submissions, annual census preparation, testing validation, match true-ups, and related reporting.
• Administer and maintain the payroll system, including configuration updates, testing, upgrades, troubleshooting, and issue resolution.
• Identify outdated or inefficient payroll processes and implement improvements, automation, and stronger controls.
• Develop, document, and maintain payroll procedures, workflows, and internal controls.
• Support internal and external payroll audits and provide requested documentation.
• Research and resolve payroll errors, discrepancies, tax issues, and employee inquiries.
• Partner closely with Human Resources, Accounting, Benefits, IT, payroll vendors, benefit providers, and auditors.
• Maintain employee data integrity, confidentiality, and payroll information security.
• Prepare payroll reporting, analytics, labor reporting, and ad hoc reports for leadership.
• Stay current on payroll laws, wage-and-hour requirements, tax regulations, and payroll best practices.
• Help build and develop the payroll function as the organization grows, including the potential future addition of payroll support staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Approximately 5–7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including hands-on multi-state payroll processing.
• Recent hands-on ADP Workforce Now experience required, ideally within the past five years.
• Strong understanding of payroll tax, wage-and-hour regulations, payroll compliance, and internal controls.
• Experience personally performing payroll reconciliations, quarter-end/year-end processing, and W-2 preparation.
• Experience with payroll system maintenance, configuration changes, testing, upgrades, or implementations.
• Experience supporting payroll-related audits and financial reporting.
• Exposure to 401(k), retirement plans, profit-sharing, or similar payroll-related benefit administration.
• Previous experience leading, supervising, or mentoring payroll employees.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and payroll reporting skills.
• Ability to identify payroll errors, research root causes, and implement corrective action.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable operating in a highly hands-on environment rather than solely overseeing the work of others.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Accounting, HR, Benefits, IT, vendors, and senior leadership.
• Strong communication skills and high attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
• Experience supporting a publicly traded organization.
• Experience with payroll system implementations, upgrades, or significant process-improvement initiatives.
• Background as a Senior Payroll Specialist, Payroll Lead, Payroll Supervisor, or hands-on Payroll Manager ready to take broader ownership.