Public School District Payroll Manager

The School District of Lee County; Fort Myers (FL); On-site; USD 67,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

The School District of Lee County in Fort Myers, FL, is seeking a Manager of Payroll to oversee daily payroll operations for all district employees. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local laws and leads a team across HR, Finance, and IT to maintain accurate payroll processing.

The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in a related field and extensive payroll experience, with strong leadership and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Six years of progressively responsible payroll experience.
• Two years of experience leading the work of others by providing guidance and motivation while establishing goals and expectations of accountability.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate the day-to-day operations of the Payroll Department to ensure timely and accurate payroll processing for all district employees.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll laws, regulations, policies, collective bargaining agreements, and district procedures.
• Monitor payroll processing calendars and ensure all deadlines are met.
• Assist with year-end payroll activities including W-2 processing, tax reporting, and audits.
• Serve as the primary escalation point to research and resolve complex payroll discrepancies, overpayments, and employee compensation issues.
• Supervise, train, evaluate, and support payroll staff to ensure effective departmental performance and professional growth.
• Establish work priorities, monitor productivity, and ensure high-quality customer service standards are maintained.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend solutions to improve workflow, accuracy, automation, and internal controls.
• Collaborate with Human Resources, Finance, and Information Technology to enhance payroll systems and ensure seamless integration of payroll data across systems.
• Develop and maintain payroll procedures, workflows, documentation, and internal controls.
• Lead the implementation of payroll-related special projects, system implementations, upgrades, and process improvement initiatives.
• Analyze payroll data and trends to support operational decision-making and compliance efforts.
• Coordinate districtwide annual training events, professional development opportunities, and procedural refreshers for school and department payroll support staff.
• Monitor changes in payroll laws, regulations, and best practices and communicate updates In a timely manner.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Skills

FLSA compliance

Payroll processing

Leadership

Communication

Internal controls

Confidentiality

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field

Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field

Tools

PeopleSoft Payroll

Job description

The School District of Lee County in Fort Myers, FL, is seeking a Manager of Payroll to oversee daily payroll operations for all district employees. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local laws and leads a team across HR, Finance, and IT to maintain accurate payroll processing.

The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in a related field and extensive payroll experience, with strong leadership and communication skills.