Payroll Manager

Ignite Human Capital; Poway (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off

Collaborative environment

Career growth

Stable organization

Job summary

Ignite Human Capital is seeking a Payroll Manager to oversee weekly payroll for field and office staff across California, ensuring timely, accurate processing and compliance. You will partner with HR, Finance, Operations, and site leaders to support payroll administration, reporting, and process improvements.

This role demands a detail-oriented, analytical professional with California wage-hour expertise, Prevailing Wage experience, and strong ADP Workforce Now and Excel skills.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years of end-to-end payroll experience with Prevailing Wage exposure.
• Experience managing payroll for California construction staff across field and office.
• Strong knowledge of California payroll regulations and wage-and-hour laws; proficient in ADP Workforce Now; advanced Excel.

Responsibilities

• Manage the complete weekly payroll cycle for field and office employees across CA.
• Review time records, labor allocations, job costing for accuracy.
• Prepare payroll reports and compliance documentation under CA rules.
• Verify pay classifications, hours, and labor distribution across sites.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, Operations to resolve payroll issues.
• Administer payroll via ADP Workforce Now and optimize processes.
• Process payroll adjustments, deductions, bonuses, and confidentially.
• Prepare reconciliations and supporting docs for audits.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll workflows and controls.

Skills

Payroll processing

Prevailing Wage

California payroll

Wage & hour

Excel Pivot/XLOOKUP

Data analysis

Analytical skills

Interdepartmental comms

Bilingual English/Spanish

Field & corporate payroll

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Job description

Payroll Manager

Location: North County San Diego, CA
Salary: $95,000–$115,000 DOE

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to oversee payroll operations for a growing construction organization with employees working throughout California. This position is responsible for ensuring timely, accurate payroll processing while partnering with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and field teams to support payroll administration, compliance, reporting, and continuous process improvements.

This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll professional who enjoys improving processes, solving complex payroll challenges, and serving as a trusted resource across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the complete weekly payroll cycle for both field and office employees across multiple California locations.




• Review payroll data, employee time records, labor allocations, job costing information, and supporting documentation to ensure payroll accuracy before each processing cycle.




• Prepare payroll reports and required compliance documentation while maintaining adherence to California payroll regulations.




• Verify employee pay classifications, hours worked, and labor distribution across multiple job sites.




• Partner with HR, Finance, Operations, and department leaders to resolve payroll discrepancies and answer payroll-related questions.




• Administer payroll through ADP Workforce Now, including system maintenance, reporting, and process optimization.




• Process payroll adjustments, benefit deductions, garnishments, bonuses, and other payroll transactions accurately and confidentially.




• Prepare reconciliations, payroll reports, and supporting documentation for internal reporting and audits.




• Identify opportunities to improve payroll workflows, strengthen internal controls, and increase operational efficiency.




• Maintain confidentiality while delivering outstanding internal customer service.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, analytical, and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability. You enjoy working with data, solving payroll challenges, and ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.

Qualifications

• Seven or more years of progressive payroll experience with end-to-end ownership of payroll processing. Experience with Prevailing Wage required.




• Experience supporting payroll within the California construction industry.




• Strong knowledge of California payroll regulations and wage-and-hour laws.




• Advanced experience using ADP Workforce Now.




• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, reporting, reconciliations, and data analysis.




• Excellent analytical, auditing, and problem-solving abilities.




• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.




• Effective communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments.




• High level of integrity, professionalism, discretion, and attention to detail.




• Preferred Bilingual in English and Spanish.




• Experience supporting payroll for both field and corporate employees within the construction industry.

Benefits

• Competitive salary: $95,000–$115,000 DOE




• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance




• 401(k) with company match




• Paid Time Off




• Collaborative and supportive team environment




• Long-term career growth opportunities




• Stable, well-established organization with a strong commitment to operational excellence