Assistant Payroll Manager (Poughkeepsie)

Job Description

Job Description

Assistant Payroll Manager

Job Type: Temporary (12-Month Assignment)
Pay Rate: $40-43/hour
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY | On-site (Monday-Friday, Full-time)

Job Overview

Madison Approach Staffing is recruiting for an Assistant Manager, Payroll Operations for our client's Payroll Department. Our client is a large healthcare network seeking a payroll leader to provide operational oversight and manage end-to-end payroll operations across a multi-entity healthcare system. This role drives process improvements, streamlines workflows, and implements payroll automation initiatives while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and exceptional internal customer service. The ideal candidate brings strong payroll leadership experience, technical expertise with HRIS/payroll platforms, and a proactive mindset focused on operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations & Leadership:

• Oversee biweekly and/or weekly payroll processing for employees across multiple departments, facilities, and entities
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of earnings, deductions, taxes, garnishments, retroactive adjustments, PTO accruals, and benefit deductions
• Review and approve payroll audits, reconciliations, and exception reporting prior to payroll transmission
• Serve as subject matter expert for payroll policies, procedures, and compliance requirements
• Support employee inquiries regarding pay, deductions, taxes, and payroll policies
• Assist with workload distribution, prioritization, and escalation management within payroll team
• Maintain confidentiality and integrity of payroll and employee compensation data

Process Improvement & Automation:

• Lead payroll streamlining initiatives to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual processing, and enhance data accuracy
• Identify opportunities for automation within payroll, timekeeping, reporting, and reconciliation processes
• Collaborate with HRIS, Finance, and IT teams on payroll system enhancements, upgrades, integrations, and testing
• Develop standardized workflows, controls, and documentation to support operational consistency and scalability
• Create and maintain payroll metrics, dashboards, and management reporting tools

Compliance & Reporting:

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, wage and hour laws, and organizational policies
• Support payroll audits, tax filings, year-end processing, and W-2 reconciliation activities
• Monitor payroll controls and implement corrective actions when necessary
• Prepare detailed payroll reports and analytics for leadership review and decision-making

Required Skills & Experience

• Experience: 5+ years progressive payroll experience including leadership or supervisory responsibilities
• Education: Bachelor's degree required
• Multi-Site Payroll: Strong experience processing high-volume payroll in complex, multi-site organization; healthcare experience preferred
• HRIS/Payroll Systems: Experience with HRIS/payroll platforms such as Workday, UKG/Kronos, Lawson, Oracle, ADP, or similar systems
• Advanced Excel: Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including pivot tables, lookups, formulas, and data analysis (required)
• Healthcare Payroll Knowledge: Knowledge of union payroll, shift differentials, and complex compensation structures
• Leadership Skills: Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and leadership abilities
• Process Improvement: Experience leading operational improvements and automation initiatives
• Compliance: Knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations and wage and hour laws

Preferred Skills & Experience

• FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification) or CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification
• Familiarity with reporting automation, workflow tools, and payroll analytics platforms
• Experience with year-end processing, tax filings, and audit support
• Healthcare multi-entity payroll experience
• Project management experience with system implementations or upgrades