Senior Payroll Manager

LHH; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Medical benefits

Life/AD&D

STD/LTD

Voluntary life

401(k) match

Roth 401(k)

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Fitness reimbursement

WFH equipment stipend

Internet stipend

Job summary

LHH is partnering with a mission-driven organization in San Francisco to recruit a Senior Payroll Manager who will lead payroll operations and optimize the ADP environment. This role balances strategic partnership with hands-on leadership, guiding day-to-day payroll tasks while driving continuous improvements.

Ideal candidates bring 8+ years in payroll, deep California payroll knowledge, and expertise with ADP Workforce Now.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience with leadership responsibility.
• Strong California payroll operations experience.
• Extensive ADP Workforce Now expertise.
• Payroll audits, reconciliations, tax reporting, year-end processing.
• Knowledge of wage/hour laws and compliance requirements.
• Experience leading and developing payroll teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead accurate and timely biweekly payroll processing.
• Manage audits, reconciliations, tax reporting, year-end activities.
• Act as ADP Workforce Now expert, driving optimization.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations including CA wage laws.
• Support workers' compensation and state audits, and payroll docs.
• Prepare payroll journal entries, reconciliations, forecasts, and reports.
• Oversee 401(k) administration and benefit reconciliations.
• Develop payroll analytics and dashboards for decision-making.
• Partner with HR/Accounting/IT/Operations to improve workflows.
• Mentor payroll staff and scale processes for growth.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business

CPP Certification

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Microsoft Excel

Job description

LHH is partnering with a mission-driven organization seeking a Senior Payroll Manager to lead payroll operations, enhance processes, and optimize a recently implemented ADP environment. This highly visible role offers the opportunity to work closely with executive leadership, drive operational improvements, and help build a scalable payroll function that supports continued organizational growth.

The ideal candidate will bring strong payroll leadership experience, deep knowledge of California payroll regulations, and hands-on expertise with ADP Workforce Now. This individual will be both a strategic partner and a hands-on leader, balancing day-to-day payroll operations with continuous improvement initiatives.

This is a flexible hybrid opportunity. Employees are encouraged to come onsite as business needs require, but there are no strict in-office attendance requirements. Compensation is anticipated to range from $140,000-$170,000 annually, depending on experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead accurate and timely biweekly payroll processing
• Manage payroll audits, reconciliations, tax reporting, year-end activities, and compliance requirements.
• Serve as the internal ADP Workforce Now expert, driving system optimization, automation, and process improvements.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, including California wage and hour laws and union payroll requirements where applicable.
• Support workers\' compensation audits, state audits, and payroll-related documentation requests.
• Prepare payroll-related journal entries, account reconciliations, forecasts, and management reporting.
• Oversee 401(k) administration, benefit reconciliations, and compliance-related activities.
• Develop meaningful payroll reporting, analytics, and dashboards to support business decision-making.
• Partner with HR, Accounting, IT, and Operations to improve workflows and enhance cross-functional collaboration.
• Mentor and develop payroll staff while creating scalable processes that support future growth and acquisition activity.
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on payroll operations, compliance, reporting, and best practices.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership responsibility.
• Strong experience managing California payroll operations.
• Extensive experience with ADP Workforce Now.
• Proven expertise in payroll audits, reconciliations, tax reporting, and year-end processing.
• Strong knowledge of wage and hour laws, payroll regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Experience leading and developing payroll teams.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated success driving process improvements and operational efficiencies.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification.
• Strong reporting and analytics capabilities.
• Bachelor\'s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Medical, Dental and Vision
• Life/AD&D
• STD, LTD
• Voluntary Life
• Traditional 401(k) with employer match
• Roth 401(k)
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Vacation-120 hours (0–1 year) / 160 hours (2–4 years) / 200 hours (5+ years)
• Sick leave up to 80 hours
• Fitness Reimbursement
• Internet and Phone Stipend
• Work From Home Equipment reimbursement

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

To read our Candidate Privacy Information Statement, which explains how we will use your information, please navigate to https://www.lhh.com/us/en/candidate-privacy

The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements, including, as applicable:

The California Fair Chance Act

Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

If you have the qualifications above and are interested in this opportunity – please apply today! If you are curious what else is available, please review the LHH website!