Strategic Municipal Payroll Manager

City of Cambridge; Cambridge (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Cambridge is seeking a seasoned Payroll Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership for the Police Department’s payroll function.

Reporting to the Director of Administration and Operations, you will oversee daily payroll operations, time and attendance administration, and payroll reporting, ensuring accurate, timely pay in compliance with collective bargaining agreements and City policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
• Five years as a payroll manager in a similarly sized organization with diverse payrolls across multiple employment classifications.
• Experience with payroll software, HRIS or similar ERP systems (e.g., PeopleSoft).
• Experience in a unionized municipal or public-sector environment working with collective bargaining agreements and payroll and timekeeping systems.
• Demonstrated understanding of the role racial inequity plays in organizational and HR systems and in society.
• Ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups across diverse identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

Responsibilities

• Supervise union and nonunion Payroll staff, providing day-to-day guidance on payroll, leave administration, compliance, records management, and issue resolution; ensure accurate and confidential handling of personnel files and employment verifications.
• Oversee timekeeping and payroll processing, including wage calculations, overtime, stipends, deductions, pay-rate changes, step increases, COLAs, retroactive pay, and FLSA adjustments; manage leave administration, resolve discrepancies, and maintain accurate payroll and leave records; prepare salary analyses and retroactive pay calculations to support collective bargaining processes.
• Generate, analyze, and reconcile HRIS and PeopleSoft data to support HR, payroll, fiscal operations, audits, and compliance requirements; prepare workforce and salary data for budget development, retirement calculations, and reporting to the Retirement Board.
• Collaborate with City Human Resources and Payroll on improvements to HR policies, processes, and systems, including payroll, time and attendance. Serve as the primary point of contact for employees and managers on payroll matters, including pay, time reporting, and deductions. Oversee the accurate and timely completion of weekly payroll, resolve discrepancies, coordinate required documentation and approvals, and implement payroll provisions of union contracts. Maintain knowledge of the Employee Manual, Civil Service Rules, collective bargaining agreements, and City policies; interpret and apply these policies to ensure consistent HR practices.
• Coordinate payroll training for supervisors and employees, including time reporting and payroll procedures. Review overtime expenditures; maintain the time and attendance system; oversee the processing of leave accruals, payroll corrections, and pay differentials; and respond to a high volume of payroll inquiries.
• Support special projects, including emergency or high-priority initiatives; identify and implement process improvements in HR and administrative procedures; communicate relevant HR and operational changes to departmental employees.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Skills

Payroll knowledge

Regulatory knowledge

Attention to detail

Interpersonal communication

Project management

Process improvement

Data analysis

Customer service

Anti-racism / DEI

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

5 years payroll manager experience

Tools

PeopleSoft

HRIS / ERP systems

Job description

The City of Cambridge is seeking a seasoned Payroll Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership for the Police Department’s payroll function.

Reporting to the Director of Administration and Operations, you will oversee daily payroll operations, time and attendance administration, and payroll reporting, ensuring accurate, timely pay in compliance with collective bargaining agreements and City policies.