PAYROLL MANAGER

Unclassified - Harrisburg, PA

Full-time

Harrisburg, PA

About the position

This role oversees all aspects of in-house payroll processing and tax compliance. The selected candidate must have technical payroll and accounting expertise and an aptitude for critical thinking and problem-solving. The position requires a comprehensive understanding of payroll operations, regulations, and compliance requirements, ensuring that all payrolls are processed accurately and on time. The candidate will be responsible for coordinating with HR partners, analyzing payroll data, and reconciling results to maintain the integrity of payroll processing. The individual will oversee the semi-monthly and monthly payroll processing of four pay groups, providing direct supervision to two payroll staff members. This includes processing off-cycle payments, reviewing and validating payroll voids and adjustments, and ensuring the settlement of all payrolls and business expense reimbursements. The role also involves manually launching accurate and timely payments and tax integrations to various state and local authorities, as well as submitting, validating, and reconciling quarterly and annual federal, multi-state, and local tax filings. In addition, the candidate will be responsible for researching federal, state, and local tax law requirements and regulations, overseeing annual in-house W-2 processing, and managing the creation and filing of IRS 1099-MISC for deceased employee wages. The role requires configuring and maintaining Workday Payroll, including tax authority exceptions, payment elections rules, and payroll-related dashboards. The candidate will also create and maintain all written payroll-related process documentation and assist the accounting team with general ledger analysis and account reconciliations. Furthermore, the candidate will assist the budget team with salary and benefit cost projections and oversee departmental tasks and projects through a cloud-based project management platform. Special projects and financial analysis may also be required as part of this role.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the semi-monthly and monthly payroll processing of 4 pay groups by providing direct supervision to 2 payroll staff.
• Ensures accuracy and timeliness of all payrolls by coordinating the timing of processing with HR partners, analyzing all payroll data, and reconciling results.
• Processes off-cycle payments and reviews and validates all payroll voids and adjustments.
• Responsible for settlement of all payrolls and business expense reimbursements.
• Manually launches accurate and timely payment and tax integrations to the PA State Treasury, State Employee Retirement System (SERS), and other taxing authorities.
• Submits, validates, and reconciles quarterly and annual federal, multi-state, and local tax filings.
• Researches federal, state, and local tax law requirements and regulations.
• Oversees annual in-house W-2 processing and responsible for the creation and filing of IRS 1099-MISC for deceased employee wages.
• Configures and maintains Workday Payroll, including tax authority exceptions, run categories, payment elections rules, and company tax setup.
• Creates and maintains all written payroll-related process documentation.
• Assists the accounting team with analyzing the general ledger and account reconciliations.
• Assists budget team with the projection of salary and benefit costs.
• Oversees and maintains a listing of all department tasks and projects through a cloud-based project management platform.
• Conducts special projects and financial analysis as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in accounting/finance.
• Minimum of five years of progressive accounting/payroll experience.
• Proficient in utilizing a payroll software system and strong knowledge of payroll operations, regulations, and compliance requirements.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail with excellent analytical skills.
• An equivalent combination of education, experience, and/or training may be considered.

Nice-to-haves

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) preferred.
• Experience with Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, Financials, and Integrations (Cloud Connect, EIB, and Workday Studio) preferred.
• Multi-state tax experience preferred.
• Experience with cloud-based project management platforms such as ProofHub or ClickUp preferred.
• Thorough knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Strong research, organizational, planning, administrative, and communication (both written and verbal) skills.