Payroll Manager

Washington State Department of Natural Resources; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Washington State Department of Natural Resources is seeking a Payroll Manager to lead the payroll team within the Office of Finance, Budget, and Economics in Olympia, WA. This role ensures accurate, timely processing for thousands of employees and requires strong leadership of a six-person payroll team with clear expectations, training, and development.

The position emphasizes compliance with state and federal requirements, complex payroll transactions, and advising agency leadership on risks

Qualifications

• Eight+ years in payroll administration incl. cyclical processing of payroll & benefits.
• Two+ years of supervisory/leadership experience with performance development.
• Equivalent combo of education/training/experience acceptable.

Responsibilities

• Lead agency-wide payroll and benefits administration functions.
• Oversee payroll transactions, including processing periods, retirement activities, tax payments, and overpayments recovery.
• Advise Finance Manager, CFO and agency leadership on risks and actions.

Skills

Advanced spreadsheets

Pivot tables

Data analysis tools

Toolbars & macros

Collaborative environment

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in accounting/finance

WA State government payroll experience (2+ yrs)

Tools

Excel

Data analysis software

Job description

Payroll Manager, WMS2

Full-time, Permanent, WMS2, Non-represented position

Work Hours and Partial Telework flexibility may be available and considered

Salary: $8,574.00 - $9,998.00 Monthly
To allow for growth and salary progression, the full salary range is: $8,574.00 - $10,526.00 Monthly

Review of applications is ongoing. We reserve the right to make a hiring decision or close this recruitment at any time after 10/1/26. It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible.

Want to join something GREAT and make a difference?
If you enjoy solving complex problems, leading a strong team, and ensuring payroll is processed on time and accurately for thousands of employees, this may be the role for you. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for a Payroll Manager to lead the payroll team within the Office of Finance, Budget, and Economics.

The Payroll Manager is responsible for leadership and oversight of DNR agency-wide payroll and benefits administration functions, ensuring payroll is processed accurately, timely, and in compliance with applicable state and federal requirements. This position supervises a six-person payroll team, managing with clear expectations, assigning and prioritizing work, supporting professional development, and maintaining effective training.

This position oversees complex payroll transactions, including payroll processing periods, benefit payments, retirement-related activities, tax payments, overpayment recovery, and other payroll-related financial activity. Work duties include advising the Finance Manager, CFO, and agency leadership on emerging risks, required changes, and recommended courses of action.

Required Qualifications:

• Eight (8) or more years of professional experience in payroll administration including cyclical processing of payroll and benefits; collection and remittance of employment taxes; administration of employee benefits; and interpretation and implementation of associated federal, state, and local laws, rules, policies and procedures.
• Two (2) or more years of supervisory and leadership experience to include all aspects of workforce and performance development, effectively coaching and mentoring and providing direction and correction when required;
• OR An equivalent combination of education, training, professional experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Possesses advanced skills in developing and manipulating complex spreadsheets with multiple math functions, advanced filters, macros, and links to external sources of information.
• Skills in creating custom toolbars and chart types, pivot tables, importing data from other sources, filtering lists, and using data analysis tools.
• Skills in building a collaborative environment and establishing or maintaining consistency in business processes and technical-level decision-making.

Required Competencies:

• Effective Communication Skills: Skilled in both oral and written communication. Must have strong communication skills adaptable to widely varied audiences and numerous venues. Must be able to express ideas and information through the spoken word and in writing, making effective use of visual elements, when necessary, to convey complex concepts in a manner appropriate to the skill and knowledge level of large and diverse audiences, often in an ad-hoc manner.
• Customer Services and Consultation Skills: Identifies customer needs and focuses efforts on meeting them. Responds to customer inquiries with set timelines. Verifies with customers that needs have been met.
• Problem Solving Skills: Facilitates the problem-solving process by identifying and communicating key issues, encouraging others to offer solutions, acknowledging and building on good ideas, and directing the group through productive discussions; logically integrates various ideas, intentions and information to form effective goals, objectives, timelines, action plans and solutions. Adapts processes to address problems with new and effective solutions.
• Ensures Accountability: Holds self and others accountable to meeting commitments. Demonstrates fiscal accountability by following finance regulations, principles, standards and guidelines when committing public funds and resources or processing financial transactions.
• Interpersonal Skills: Adapts to and works effectively with a variety of situations and people. Desire to consistently model trustworthiness, sensitivity to others and respect. Models effective group process behavior, such as listening, discussing, negotiating, encouraging and motivating. Maintains focus and intensity, even under adversity.
• Values Differences: Recognizes the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization. Models and facilitates the development and integration of cultural, ethnic and gender sensitivity and humility. Actively seeks out different points of view and leverages the benefits of different perspectives.

Desired Qualifications:

These qualifications are not required. However, it can help you stand out as a candidate and should be highlighted in your application material.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in accounting, business administration, finance, or other closely aligned field.
• Two (2) or more years of experience in WA State government payroll processing
• Experience training and developing training while in a leadership role or finance/accounting/business role
• Possesses a strategic mindset: Looks ahead to future possibilities and translates into strategies for success
• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm