Payroll Manager

Description

Payroll Manager

Location: Charlotte, NC
Reports To: Chief Human Resources Officer
Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Position Summary

SOLID Surface Care is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to lead and own all aspects of payroll administration for approximately 500 employees across multiple states throughout the United States.

This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for the complete payroll lifecycle, from timekeeping and payroll preparation through processing, funding, taxes, garnishments, reconciliations, reporting and year-end activities. The Payroll Manager will serve as SOLID's internal payroll subject matter expert and will be accountable for ensuring employees are paid accurately, timely and consistently while maintaining strong compliance and internal controls.

The successful candidate will bring significant hands-on, multi-state payroll experience and be equally comfortable processing payroll, researching complex issues, working directly with tax agencies, strengthening processes and controls, and partnering with HR and Finance.

This is an opportunity for an experienced payroll professional to take full ownership of an important company function and help build a payroll operation that employees and leaders can trust.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations & Processing

• Own the complete end-to-end payroll process for approximately 500 employees across multiple states, including hourly and salaried populations.
• Manage each payroll cycle from time and data collection through audit, approval, processing, funding and post-payroll reconciliation.
• Review timekeeping data and partner with managers to resolve missing punches, approvals and other exceptions before payroll deadlines.
• Process and validate new hires, terminations, compensation changes, bonuses, commissions, retroactive pay, PTO payouts, reimbursements, deductions and other payroll transactions.
• Calculate and process off-cycle payrolls, manual payments and required final-pay payments.
• Review preliminary payroll registers and exception reports, investigate discrepancies and ensure appropriate approval prior to payroll submission.
• Maintain the annual payroll calendar and establish clear deadlines for managers and employees.
• Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation resource for employee payroll questions and resolve issues accurately and promptly.

Payroll Taxes & Multi-State Compliance

• Own payroll tax administration across all applicable federal, state and local jurisdictions.
• Establish and maintain state and local payroll tax accounts as SOLID enters or exits jurisdictions.
• Ensure appropriate withholding, unemployment, paid leave and other jurisdictional requirements are established and maintained.
• Monitor payroll tax registrations, agency accounts, rates and system configurations for accuracy.
• Review and reconcile federal, state and local payroll tax filings and deposits.
• Research and resolve payroll tax notices, discrepancies, amendments and agency inquiries.
• Manage quarterly and year-end payroll tax activities, including Forms 941, W-2/W-3 processing, corrections and reconciliation.
• Monitor changes in payroll-related laws and regulations and implement required process or system changes.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and audit support for payroll tax compliance.

Garnishments & Deductions

• Own administration of wage garnishments, child support orders, tax levies and other legally required deductions from receipt through completion.
• Interpret orders, establish deductions accurately and ensure payments and responses are completed within required deadlines.
• Ensure proper prioritization of multiple orders and compliance with federal and state withholding limitations.
• Maintain confidential documentation and respond appropriately to agencies, courts and employees.
• Reconcile benefit, retirement and other employee deductions to ensure payroll records align with vendor and plan requirements.

Controls, Reconciliations & Audit

• Develop and maintain strong payroll controls, documented procedures and appropriate segregation of duties.
• Establish documented payroll checklists, approval requirements and audit trails for every payroll cycle.
• Perform payroll-to-GL and other payroll reconciliations in partnership with Finance.
• Review payroll variances and exception reporting and investigate unusual transactions before payroll is finalized.
• Maintain appropriate controls over employee master-data changes, compensation changes, direct deposit changes, manual payments and payroll system access.
• Conduct periodic payroll system access reviews and ensure appropriate role-based permissions.
• Maintain complete payroll records and documentation in accordance with applicable record-retention requirements.
• Support internal and external audits and respond to payroll-related requests.
• Identify control gaps and implement corrective actions.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Serve as the business owner and subject matter expert for payroll and timekeeping functionality within SOLID's HR/payroll technology.
• Maintain payroll configuration, earnings and deduction codes, tax setup and payroll-related workflows.
• Partner with HR, Finance and Operations to improve the accuracy and timeliness of payroll inputs.
• Develop and maintain payroll SOPs, process maps, calendars and control documentation.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes, reduce payroll corrections and improve the employee experience.
• Establish payroll metrics including payroll accuracy, corrections, off-cycle payments, late manager approvals and other key indicators.
• Build appropriate backup coverage and cross-training to ensure payroll continuity.

Employee & Business Partnership

• Deliver responsive, high-quality support to employees and managers regarding pay, taxes, deductions and other payroll matters.
• Partner closely with HR on employee changes, compensation, benefits, leaves and terminations.
• Partner with Finance on payroll funding, general ledger reporting, reconciliations and financial controls.
• Educate managers on payroll/timekeeping responsibilities and hold stakeholders accountable for established deadlines.
• Protect confidential payroll and employee information and consistently demonstrate sound judgment and integrity.

Qualifications

Required

• 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including significant hands-on responsibility for full-cycle payroll.
• At least 3 years of experience independently owning or leading an end-to-end payroll function.
• Demonstrated experience processing multi-state payroll.
• Strong working knowledge of federal, state and local payroll taxation and payroll compliance.
• Hands-on experience establishing and maintaining state/local payroll tax accounts and resolving agency notices.
• Significant experience administering garnishments, child support orders and tax levies.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations, quarterly/year-end processing and W-2 administration.
• Strong understanding of wage and hour requirements as they relate to payroll.
• Experience developing payroll procedures, controls and audit processes.
• Strong payroll/HRIS technology skills and advanced Excel proficiency.
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to meet strict recurring deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• High degree of discretion, integrity and accountability when handling confidential employee and financial information.
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees, managers, executives and external agencies.

Preferred

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business or related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience with UKG or a comparable enterprise payroll/timekeeping platform.
• Experience supporting a geographically dispersed hourly workforce.
• Experience improving or rebuilding payroll processes and internal controls.
• Experience supporting payroll audits, acquisitions or the addition of new states/legal entities.