Payroll Lead

Who We Are

At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet. IT'S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH!

What You Will Do

The Payroll Lead will oversee all aspects of the company's payroll function, ensuring accurate and timely processing, compliance with federal/state/local wage & hour and tax regulations, and continuous improvement of payroll systems and processes. The individual will act as the subject-matter expert for payroll, partner with HR, Finance and external vendors, and lead the payroll team to deliver high quality, efficient service.

How You Will Make an Impact

• Manage end-to-end payroll for all employees (USA, UK, Ireland, Canada).
• Supervise and develop payroll team members: provide training, set objectives, review performance, and promote team efficiency.
• Ensure payroll inputs (timesheets, attendance, bonuses, commissions, deductions, benefits, garnishments) are captured correctly, reconcile variances, and resolve discrepancies.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local laws/regulations (FLSA, minimum wage, overtime, tax withholding, reporting, etc.), including multi-state and remote employee considerations.
• Coordinate with HR for new hires, terminations, leaves of absence, benefit changes, and ensure systems reflect accurate payroll status.
• Manage payroll tax filings, payments, remittances, and reporting, work with external tax/filing vendors (Dayforce).
• Prepare management and audit reports: payroll summaries, cost analyses, accruals, projections.
• Drive process improvement: evaluate payroll software (Dayforce), automation opportunities, month/quarter/year-end close processes, internal controls.
• Act as escalation point for complex payroll issues (e.g., wage litigation, international assignments, large-scale terminations).
• Support audit preparedness: maintain documentation, support internal/external audits, ensure segregation of duties.
• Stay current with payroll technology trends and legislative changes; recommend system upgrades or policy enhancements.

What You Will Bring

• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience (including multi-state, international payroll) with at least 2 years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Hands-on experience with payroll system (Dayforce/Ceridian) and time/attendance systems.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax rules, wage/hour laws, compliance, garnishments, benefits integration.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, communication and leadership skills.
• High integrity, confidentiality, attention to detail, ability to work under deadlines and manage multiple priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification (e.g., Certified Payroll Professional - CPP).
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field
• Experience in a growth/fast-paced environment.

Working Conditions/Environment

• Office environment (with potential for hybrid work depending on company policy).
• Occasional extended hours around pay cycle close, audits, or special projects.
• Collaborative role interacting with HR, Finance, IT, external vendors.

What We Offer

At Freshpet, we offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, basic and optional life insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, tuition assistance, a generous PTO plan and so much more!

Our Commitment to a Diverse Workforce:

Freshpet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law ("protected characteristics").

Disclaimers

The salary range provided above is the range of the wages that we will pay for the listed position. A final determination on the wages within this range is based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to the required work location, previous work experience, skill set, and wage rates for comparable positions.

Freshpet is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Freshpet via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Freshpet. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Freshpet as a result of the referral or through other means.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.