Payroll & Total Rewards Manager

Continuum Solutions; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Continuum Solutions is conducting a confidential search for a Payroll & Total Rewards Manager to lead the enterprise payroll, benefits, 401(k), and HRIS across a multi-site, multi-state workforce. You will consolidate two legacy ADP payrolls into one unified system and establish standards, controls, and processes as the company scales through acquisitions.

You will report to the CHRO and partner with Finance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive payroll and benefits experience across multiple states.
• Experience with payroll integrations during acquisitions is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll for weekly/bi-weekly hourly and salaried employees across multiple states.

Skills

ADP Workforce Now

Payroll processing

Multi-state payroll

Benefits administration

Payroll tax compliance

Excel

Leadership

Acquisition integration

ERISA compliance

Data reconciliation

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Accounting/Finance

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Job description

Our client, a private equity-backed industrial manufacturer headquartered in Houston, is growing through acquisition and building out its corporate functions. They're hiring their first enterprise Payroll & Total Rewards Manager to own payroll, benefits, 401(k), compensation administration, and HRIS across a multi-site, multi-state workforce.

The company has about 700 US employees across roughly 17 states and expects to approach 1,000 with planned growth. Two legacy payrolls, both on ADP Workforce Now, are consolidating into one enterprise payroll starting in January, and you'll lead that work.

This is a builder role. You'll come in at a pivotal point, unify payroll across business units, set the standards and controls for the combined organization, and scale them as new acquisitions come on board. You'll report to the CHRO and partner closely with Finance.

What you'll own

• End-to-end payroll for weekly and bi-weekly hourly and salaried populations, including overtime, shift differentials, bonuses, garnishments, and off-cycle payments.
• Multi-state payroll tax setup and compliance, including new state registrations, tax notices, year-end reconciliation, and W-2s.
• Standardized payroll calendars, approval workflows, audit procedures, and SOPs across the enterprise.
• Partnership with Finance on GL interfaces, accruals, reconciliations, labor reporting, and month-end and year-end close.
• Day-to-day benefits administration: enrollments, carrier feeds, invoice reconciliation, COBRA, and open enrollment, with ACA, ERISA, and HIPAA compliance.
• 401(k) administration support, including contributions, payroll feeds, audits, and compliance testing with recordkeepers and TPAs.
• Functional ownership of ADP Workforce Now payroll and benefits modules, including security, workflows, and data integrity.
• Payroll, benefits, and HRIS integration for acquisitions and legal entity changes.
• Compensation administration: salary changes, merit and bonus programs, and total rewards analysis for leadership.
• Reporting and dashboards on payroll, benefits, headcount, labor cost, and overtime, with a steady push to automate manual work.
• Audit, workers' comp, and insurance renewal reporting in partnership with the Controller.
• Success looks like 99.5%+ payroll accuracy, 100% on-time payrolls, documented controls, and measurable reduction in manual work and recurring errors.

What you bring

• 5+ years of progressive, hands-on payroll and benefits experience supporting hourly and salaried employees across multiple states.
• Advanced ADP Workforce Now experience, including payroll, benefits, reporting, and configuration.
• Experience running payroll across multiple entities or business units, ideally in a 500 to 2,000 employee organization.
• Payroll or benefits integration experience through an acquisition is a strong plus.
• Manufacturing or industrial experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll requirements and benefits compliance.
• Strong Excel and analytical skills; you can reconcile data, spot exceptions, and turn them into clear reporting.
• People leadership skills. The role starts as a hands-on individual leader with potential to build a team as the company grows.
• A track record of stable tenure and ownership. You're comfortable with ambiguity and drive issues to resolution.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Accounting, or Finance preferred; equivalent experience considered. CPP, CEBS, SHRM-CP, or PHR a plus.
• High judgment and discretion with confidential payroll, benefits, and compensation data.
• Experience with 401(k) administration, open enrollment, benefit reconciliations, and vendor management.

Why this role

• Build and own an enterprise function from the ground up instead of inheriting a fixed playbook.
• Join a PE-backed company in active growth, with more acquisitions expected.
• Work for a collaborative, hands-off leader who invests in development, holds regular 1:1s, and welcomes being challenged.
• Investment in the tools and systems that make the work easier.
• Flexibility for life outside work, as long as the work gets done.
• Clear, measurable impact: you'll see the results of your work every pay cycle.

Confidential search conducted by Continuum Solutions. Client name shared upon initial conversation.