Payroll Manager - Electrical Contracting

Enterprise Electrical; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Enterprise Electrical is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead payroll operations for hourly craft and salaried staff across multiple projects and locations. Reporting to the CFO, you will ensure compliance, accuracy, and timely processing while enhancing payroll systems and controls.

Ideal candidates bring strong technical payroll expertise, confidentiality, and proven leadership in a high-volume environment; construction or electrical contracting experience is highly preferred.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of payroll processing, wage/hour rules, and reporting.
• Experience with construction payroll, certified payroll, and fringe benefits.
• Ability to apply payroll laws, policies, and project requirements.
• Experience with payroll systems, integrations, reconciliation, and troubleshooting.
• Strong Excel skills for large datasets and reports.
• Demonstrated leadership and team-management abilities.
• Ability to ensure accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance under deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead regular and off-cycle payroll cycles across multiple projects and locations.
• Validate time records, pay rates, deductions, and inputs before processing.
• Oversee multi-project payroll, labor allocation, and job costing allocations.
• Ensure compliance with federal/state wage/hour requirements and payroll recordkeeping.
• Monitor payroll law changes and update procedures accordingly.
• Oversee certified and prevailing wage reporting and fringe benefit handling.
• Administer per diem, travel reimbursements, and supplemental pay.
• Manage payroll tax deposits, filings, and year-end tax reporting.
• Maintain internal controls and audit trails for payroll records.
• Lead payroll staff, provide coaching and succession planning.
• Collaborate with Accounting, HR, Operations, and project leadership.
• Assist in system integrations between payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, and accounting.

Skills

Payroll processing

Wage and hour compliance

Payroll taxation

Internal controls

Payroll systems integrations

Microsoft Excel

Job costing

Leadership

Analytical problem-solving

Confidentiality & compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business Administration

CPP certification (preferred)

Tools

Miter

Sage

BambooHR

HRIS

Job description

Enterprise Electrical is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead our payroll operations and ensure the accuracy, timeliness, compliance, and integrity of payroll for our growing field and office workforce.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Payroll Manager will oversee payroll for hourly craft employees, salaried personnel, and employees working across multiple projects, locations, and jurisdictions. This position serves as a key technical resource for payroll compliance, wage and hour requirements, prevailing wages, certified payroll, per diem, supplemental pay, payroll taxation, and related reporting.

The Payroll Manager will work closely with Human Resources, Benefits, Accounting, Operations, and project leadership to resolve complex payroll matters, maintain accurate job costing and financial reporting, and continuously improve payroll systems, controls, and processes.

The ideal candidate brings strong technical payroll expertise, sound judgment, a high level of confidentiality, and proven leadership experience in a complex, high-volume environment. Construction or electrical contracting industry experience is highly preferred.

What You'll Do

• Lead all regular and off-cycle payroll processes, including payroll schedules, workflow assignments, payroll register reviews, exceptions, funding requirements, and corrections
• Validate time records, approvals, employee changes, pay rates, project assignments, overtime, deductions, and other payroll inputs prior to processing
• Oversee payroll for employees working across multiple projects, locations, and jurisdictions, including multiple pay rates and proper allocation of labor costs
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state wage and hour requirements, including overtime, compensable time, authorized deductions, final pay, and payroll recordkeeping
• Monitor changes in payroll laws, tax requirements, agency guidance, and project-specific requirements and incorporate changes into payroll procedures and systems
• Review prevailing wage determinations and project payroll requirements, including worker classifications, wage rates, apprentice requirements, and fringe benefit obligations
• Oversee certified payroll reporting, reconciliation, submission, corrections, and supporting documentation
• Validate fringe benefit credits and cash payments in lieu of benefits for prevailing wage projects
• Administer and review per diem, travel allowances, mileage, lodging reimbursements, and other field-related allowances
• Oversee supplemental pay, including shift differentials, project premiums, incentive payments, bonuses, retroactive pay, and other approved earnings
• Ensure timely payroll tax deposits, quarterly and annual filings, W-2 preparation, corrections, and payroll tax reconciliations
• Oversee deductions and remittances related to benefits, retirement contributions, garnishments, and other authorized deductions
• Maintain strong payroll internal controls, segregation of duties, approval authority, system access, audit trails, and confidential employee records
• Reconcile payroll totals, liabilities, general ledger entries, and job cost allocations while supporting month-end and year-end close activities
• Partner with Accounting and project teams regarding subcontractor certified payroll documentation and compliance requirements
• Lead payroll system administration and integrations across payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, accounting, and related platforms
• Investigate employee payroll concerns, communicate findings, complete approved corrections, and identify solutions that prevent recurring issues
• Coordinate payroll audits and respond to agency, customer, or internal requests for payroll documentation
• Develop payroll procedures, cross-training, and backup coverage while training payroll staff and managers on payroll and timekeeping practices
• Track payroll accuracy, timeliness, corrections, and compliance issues and identify opportunities for continued process improvement

What We're Looking For

• Advanced knowledge of payroll processing, wage and hour requirements, payroll taxation, reporting, record retention, and internal controls
• Working knowledge of construction payroll, prevailing wage, certified payroll, fringe benefit calculations, and project labor classifications
• Understanding of per diem, expense reimbursement, accountable plan requirements, taxable allowances, and supplemental pay
• Ability to interpret payroll laws, regulations, policies, contracts, and project requirements and translate them into effective payroll processes
• Experience with payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, and accounting systems, including integrations, configuration, reconciliation, and troubleshooting
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including experience reviewing large datasets, identifying exceptions, reconciling records, and preparing reports
• Strong understanding of labor allocation, job costing, payroll liabilities, and general ledger reconciliation
• Proven leadership, coaching, delegation, and workload management experience
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to investigate complex payroll discrepancies
• Ability to manage competing deadlines while maintaining a high degree of accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance

Education & Experience

• 6-8 years of progressively responsible payroll experience, including complex, high-volume payroll processing and compliance
• 2-3 years of payroll supervisory or team leadership experience
• Demonstrated experience with payroll tax reporting, reconciliations, audits, payroll systems, and internal controls
• Construction or electrical contracting experience is highly preferred, particularly involving field payroll, job costing, prevailing wages, certified payroll, per diem, and supplemental pay
• Multi-state payroll experience preferred
• Experience with Miter, Sage, BambooHR, or comparable integrated systems is a plus
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. An equivalent combination of relevant education and payroll experience may be considered
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification preferred but not required

Leadership Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee payroll staff and daily payroll workflow
• Provide leadership, mentoring, training, and performance guidance to payroll team members
• Support staffing, onboarding, employee development, and performance management activities
• Promote accountability, compliance, operational efficiency, teamwork, and continuous improvement within payroll operations

Position Details

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Schedule: Standard business hours, Monday through Friday. Additional hours may occasionally be required during payroll processing periods, audits, quarter-end and year-end activities, system implementations, or other critical payroll deadlines.

Why Enterprise Electrical?

At Enterprise Electrical, our culture is built around a shared commitment to doing great work, developing our people, and building lasting relationships.

Our Core Values guide how we work every day:

• Safety First, Safety Always - Safety
• Committed to Excellence - Greatness
• Plan it, Do it, Own it - Accountability
• Learn it, Know it, Teach it - Mentorship
• One Team, One Goal - Teamwork
• Positive Attitude Required - Positivity

Our Core Purpose

Building Relationships to Enrich Lives.

If you are an experienced payroll leader who thrives in a fast-paced, growing organization and understands the complexities of construction payroll, we would welcome the opportunity to learn more about you.