Payroll Manager

Job Description

Job Description

We are looking for a Payroll Manager to support an organization in Thousand Palms, California through a Contract engagement. This role will lead a thorough review of payroll activity for a workforce of roughly 300 employees, with a strong focus on pay accuracy, leave balances, and compliance with union terms and California labor requirements. The ideal candidate brings deep payroll audit expertise, sharp analytical judgment, and the ability to work closely with internal stakeholders to identify issues and strengthen payroll practices.

Responsibilities:

• Examine payroll data across multiple payroll cycles for approximately 300 employees to assess accuracy and consistency.

• Compare earnings, overtime, shift-related premiums, and other pay elements against applicable collective bargaining agreements.

• Evaluate payroll practices for alignment with California wage and hour regulations, including overtime and meal or rest period obligations.

• Test payroll calculations such as retroactive payments, corrections, and manual adjustments to confirm proper processing.

• Review vacation, sick leave, and holiday accrual balances and reconcile discrepancies through detailed analysis.

• Document payroll variances, estimate potential impact, and propose practical corrective measures.

• Prepare organized audit summaries, findings reports, and supporting records for stakeholder review.

• Collaborate with payroll, human resources, and labor relations teams to resolve identified issues and improve ongoing controls.

• At least 7 years of payroll experience, including work in payroll auditing, compliance review, or related oversight functions.
• Demonstrated experience administering or reviewing payroll in unionized environments governed by collective bargaining agreements.
• Strong knowledge of California wage and hour requirements and their application to payroll operations.
• Background in accrual review and payroll reconciliation for vacation, sick time, and holiday pay.
• Advanced analytical skills with strong attention to detail and proficiency in Excel for payroll analysis.
• Experience with payroll platforms such as ADP Workforce Now or comparable systems.
• Ability to manage complex payroll issues involving large employee populations and multiple pay components.