Sr. Payroll Manager

LJA Engineering; Katy (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Time Off

Comprehensive Benefits

Family Support

Education Support

Referral Bonuses

Community Impact

Professional Development

Career Growth

Fun Culture

Job summary

LJA, Inc. is seeking a Sr. Payroll Manager to provide strategic leadership and oversight of multi-state payroll operations. You will optimize UKG Pro, ensure regulatory compliance, and partner with HR, Benefits, Accounting, and operations leadership.

You will guide a payroll team through change, implement scalable processes, and manage systems like BST, Spectrum, Vision, and QuickBooks to support accurate financial reporting.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership and supervisory responsibilities in a complex, multi-state environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of multi-state payroll operations, ensuring payroll is processed accurately, timely, securely, and in compliance with applicable requirements through UKG Pro.
• Monitor and interpret federal, state, and local payroll regulations and labor law changes, and proactively implement necessary process and system updates.
• Oversee the administration, reconciliation, and remittance of 401(k) payroll deductions in accordance with plan requirements and regulatory guidelines.
• Review payroll documentation, general ledger coding, funding requests, and journal entries for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with internal accounting standards.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the payroll team through coaching, training, goal setting, performance management, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and service standards that promote accuracy, responsiveness, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the payroll subject matter expert and key partner to Human Resources, Benefits, Accounting, and operational leaders on payroll matters and compliance considerations.
• Drive operational excellence by evaluating payroll processes, identifying enhancements, and implementing scalable solutions that improve productivity, accuracy, controls, and service delivery.
• Lead UKG Pro enhancements, automation, and optimization initiatives to maximize technology investments and reduce manual processes.
• Manage payroll-related systems and integrations, including UKG Pro, BST, Spectrum, Vision, and QuickBooks, to support data accuracy and effective business processes.
• Lead complex payroll projects, system implementations, testing, and cross-functional process improvements.
• Direct period-end payroll activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, schedules, analyses, and reporting, to support timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Maintain payroll documentation and strengthen internal controls to support consistency, security, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance.
• Support internal and external audits, including 401(k), ESOP, FAR, financial, and compliance audits, by providing accurate records, analyses, and documentation.
• Lead payroll integration activities associated with mergers and acquisitions, including payroll setup, data validation, system conversion, testing, employee transition, and post-integration stabilization.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to assess payroll risks, requirements, timelines, and dependencies related to acquisitions and organizational changes.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic payroll

Multistate payroll

UKG Pro expertise

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance, or a related field

CPP certification

Tools

UKG Pro

BST

Spectrum

Vision

QuickBooks

Job description

LJA is offering an exciting opportunity that will allow you to reach your full career potential. The structure of our organization is designed to amplify your capabilities while gaining the benefits of being an employee-owner. What truly sets this opportunity apart is the chance to collaborate every day with dedicated, skilled, and supportive leaders. Whether you are in the office, in the field, or behind the scenes, working at LJA gives you the chance to grow through hands‑on experience and exposure to a broad range of clients and services.

WHAT MAKES LJA DIFFERENT

At LJA, our employee-owners take pride in their work and their workplace. We’re guided by leaders who foster a culture of respect, collaboration and a shared vision of success. Our difference is evident in the experiences and opportunities we provide:

• Employee-owned. Client-focused
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Consistently ranked as a Top Workplace
• Internal recruitment team, in-house training, and a marketing department specific to our industry
• We celebrate flexibility, allowing every team and office to lead with their proven approach
• Our culture champions continuous learning and personal growth
• We believe success comes through constant evolution and communication
• We are passionate about having fun and making money, all while creating impact

POSITION OVERVIEW: As a Sr. Payroll Manager at LJA in our Accounting department, you will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight for accurate, timely, compliant, and secure payroll administration across a complex, multi-state organization. This role leads and develops the payroll team, optimizes payroll technology and processes, supports financial reporting and audits, and serves as a key partner to Human Resources, Benefits, Accounting, and operational leaders. The position also leads payroll integration activities associated with mergers, acquisitions, and organizational changes.

A TYPICAL DAY MIGHT INCLUDE:

Payroll Operations and Compliance

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of multi-state payroll operations, ensuring payroll is processed accurately, timely, securely, and in compliance with applicable requirements through UKG Pro.
• Monitor and interpret federal, state, and local payroll regulations and labor law changes, and proactively implement necessary process and system updates.
• Oversee the administration, reconciliation, and remittance of 401(k) payroll deductions in accordance with plan requirements and regulatory guidelines.
• Review payroll documentation, general ledger coding, funding requests, and journal entries for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with internal accounting standards.

Team Leadership and Service Delivery

• Lead, mentor, and develop the payroll team through coaching, training, goal setting, performance management, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and service standards that promote accuracy, responsiveness, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the payroll subject matter expert and key partner to Human Resources, Benefits, Accounting, and operational leaders on payroll matters and compliance considerations.

Payroll Systems and Process Improvement

• Drive operational excellence by evaluating payroll processes, identifying enhancements, and implementing scalable solutions that improve productivity, accuracy, controls, and service delivery.
• Lead UKG Pro enhancements, automation, and optimization initiatives to maximize technology investments and reduce manual processes.
• Manage payroll-related systems and integrations, including UKG Pro, BST, Spectrum, Vision, and QuickBooks, to support data accuracy and effective business processes.
• Lead complex payroll projects, system implementations, testing, and cross-functional process improvements.

Financial Reporting, Controls, and Audit Support

• Direct period-end payroll activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, schedules, analyses, and reporting, to support timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Maintain payroll documentation and strengthen internal controls to support consistency, security, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance.
• Support internal and external audits, including 401(k), ESOP, FAR, financial, and compliance audits, by providing accurate records, analyses, and documentation.

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Organizational Change

• Lead payroll integration activities associated with mergers and acquisitions, including payroll setup, data validation, system conversion, testing, employee transition, and post-integration stabilization.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to assess payroll risks, requirements, timelines, and dependencies related to acquisitions and organizational changes.
• Perform other payroll, accounting, systems, or leadership duties as warranted or directed.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance, or a related field.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership and supervisory responsibilities in a complex, multi‑state environment.
• Minimum of two years of strategic administration and optimization of a payroll platform, including 2+ years of UKG Pro payroll processing experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading payroll process improvement, operational transformation, automation, and efficiency initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of payroll regulations, tax requirements, accounting principles, financial reporting, qualified retirement plans and 401(k) administration, and benefit deductions.
• Proven ability to manage complex payroll operations, system implementations, integrations, and cross‑functional projects.
• Thorough knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations.

IDEALLY, YOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE:

• Experience leading payroll integration for mergers, acquisitions, or other significant organizational changes.
• Experience supporting 401(k), ESOP, FAR, financial, and compliance audits.
• Working knowledge of BST, Spectrum, Vision, QuickBooks, or comparable accounting and project management systems.
• Strong leadership, coaching, communication, collaboration, and relationship‑management skills.
• Ability to translate complex payroll and compliance requirements into practical, scalable processes and system solutions.
• Strong analytical judgment, attention to detail, discretion, and commitment to payroll data security and confidentiality.

LEVEL UP WITH LJA

At LJA, we’re 100% employee‑owned. This drives results, rewards ambition and supports long‑term success for every team member. With almost 100 locations and 3,000+ employee‑owners (and growing), we’re building something big! We want you to be part of it. Your future grows here.

• Generous Time Off: PTO, paid holidays, and a full office closure between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple health and dental plan options, pet insurance, and mental‑health support.
• Family Support: Paid maternity and parental leave to help you focus on what matters most.
• Education Support: Tuition reimbursement and in‑house courses provided by our Learning and Development team.
• Referral Bonuses: Know great talent? Get rewarded for helping us grow.
• Community Impact: Company‑sponsored volunteer days and philanthropic initiatives.
• Professional Development: Memberships to industry organizations to keep you connected and growing.
• Career Growth: Great internal mobility opportunities to advance your career.
• Fun Culture: LJA social events, employee sports teams, bring your kid to work day, etc.

To Executive Search Firms & Staffing Agencies: LJA, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes from any agencies that have not signed a service agreement. All unsolicited resumes will be considered LJA's property. This includes resumes submitted directly to hiring managers without contacting LJA's Human Resources Talent Department.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.