Payroll Manager (Phoenix)

About the Role

Behind every accurate, on-time paycheck is someone who sweated the details so no one else had to – that’s the leader we’re looking for. Salt Dental Partners is looking for a Payroll Manager who can own our multi-state, multi-entity payroll function end to end. Setting the strategy, running the team, and being the calm, trusted expert when things get complicated. You'll lead and develop our Payroll Specialist’s, own the relationship with our payroll systems and vendors, and be the person Finance, HR, and Legal call first when a payroll question needs a real answer. If you love building great processes as much as you love a clean payroll run, this is your seat at the table.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end multi-state, multi-entity payroll operations, ensuring every employee across every entity is paid accurately, on time, and in full compliance with federal, state, and local law.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Payroll Specialist and any future payroll team members — setting priorities, reviewing work, and building a team that's accurate and fast under pressure.
• Serve as the escalation point and subject-matter expert for complex payroll tax matters, including researching, responding to, and resolving agency notices (IRS, state, and local).
• Lead payroll integration for newly acquired practices as Salt Dental Partners continues to grow through M&A — building the playbook for standing up new entities, migrating payroll data, and bringing new employees onto our systems smoothly.
• Own the relationship with our payroll platform (ADP Workforce Now) and vendors — driving configuration decisions, system upgrades, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Design, document, and continuously improve payroll SOPs, internal controls, and audit-readiness across all entities.
• Oversee quarter-end and year-end payroll processes, including W-2/941 preparation, external audits, and unemployment/workers' comp reporting.
• Partner with HR, Benefits, Accounting, and Legal leadership on payroll policy, compensation changes, and organizational compliance projects.
• Set service standards for employee-facing payroll support (via our ticketing system) and personally step in on escalated or sensitive employee situations.
• Report on payroll metrics, risks, and process health to People Operations leadership, and recommend improvements before small issues become big ones.
• Maintain the highest standard of confidentiality and data security for compensation and personal information across the organization.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of hands-on payroll experience, including multi-state payroll and processing for multiple entities, with at least 2 years in a lead, supervisory, or management capacity (required).
• Deep working knowledge of federal and multi-state payroll tax and wage and hour law, including hands-on experience resolving payroll tax agency notices.
• Proven experience leading or mentoring a payroll team, with the judgment to know when to jump in and when to coach from the sidelines.
• Strong Excel skills — formulas, pivot tables, and confidently reconciling large, messy data sets.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain payroll matters clearly to employees, managers, and executive leadership alike.
• Sound judgment and unshakeable discretion when handling confidential compensation and personal data.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, Human Resources, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will absolutely be considered.

Bonus Points If You Have

• Hands-on expertise with ADP Workforce Now — strongly preferred for this role.
• Experience with Zendesk (or a similar case/ticketing system) for managing and reporting on employee inquiries.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
• Experience leading payroll through mergers & acquisitions, ideally within a growing Dental Support Organization (DSO) or similar multi-entity healthcare environment.
• Experience with garnishment and wage attachment administration at scale.
• A track record of turning a manual, clunky process into something faster, cleaner, and easier for everyone downstream.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

This role is performed in a hybrid environment, splitting time between our Phoenix office and remote work. Reasonable accommodations can be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

• Ability to sit for extended periods at a desk or workstation while working on a computer.
• Frequent use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and telephone, including repetitive hand and wrist motion.
• Visual acuity to review detailed payroll data, spreadsheets, and reports on a screen for extended periods.
• Ability to communicate clearly, verbally and in writing, including by phone, email, and video conference, including with executive leadership.
• Occasional standing, walking, bending, or reaching, and ability to lift/move items up to 15 pounds (files, supplies, equipment).
• For remote workdays: a dedicated, distraction-free workspace with secure, reliable high-speed internet able to support company systems and video conferencing.
• For remote workdays: a private workspace where screens and conversations are not visible or audible to others, to safeguard confidential payroll and employee data per company policy.
• Ability to maintain a consistent, reliable schedule and be reachable during core business hours, whether onsite or remote, including around critical payroll deadlines.

Compensation & Schedule

This is a full-time, exempt, salaried role paying $90,000–$115,000 per year, based on experience and qualifications — benchmarked to current Phoenix-area market data for payroll leadership roles. The role follows a hybrid schedule between our Phoenix office and remote work, Monday through Friday, with flexibility around critical payroll deadlines and month/quarter/year-end close.

Why You'll Love It Here

Salt Dental Partners supports a growing network of dental practices, and this role sits right at the center of that growth — leading the function that makes sure every employee, at every entity, gets paid right. You'll have real ownership, a seat at the table with HR, Finance, and Legal leadership, and a talented Payroll Specialist counting on your leadership. If you're ready to build something great instead of just keeping the lights on, we'd love to meet you.

Salt Dental Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties.

Recruiting firms may not submit candidate resumes via e-mail. Recruiters are directed to contact one of our Talent Acquisition representatives regarding current vacancies.