Payroll Manager

Job Title:  Payroll Manager

Department:  Human Resources

Reports To:  Vice President of Human Resources

Location:  Oswego, NY (Upstate New York)

Position Summary

The Payroll Manager is responsible for leading and supporting all payroll operations across four companies with a combined workforce of approximately 300 employees.  This role requires a deep technical payroll knowledge, strong project management skills, and the ability to analyze complex pay practices to improve controls, reduce payroll costs, and standardize processes.  This role also serves as the payroll subject matter expert and project manager, responsible for learning and documenting St. Luke’s payroll policies, practices, collective bargaining agreement (CBAs), and existing pay rules during the implementation of our new payroll system transition in Q2 and Q3.

Key Responsibilities:

Payroll Operations & Expertise

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of current payroll processes, including:




• Shift differentials


• Overtime and double overtime


• Premium pay and special earnings


• Multi-entity payroll structures




• Process payroll using existing systems (UKG Ready for timekeeping and ADP for payroll) during the transition period, as needed.


• Assume full responsibility for payroll processing in Paycom following go-live.


• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws and collective bargaining agreements.

Payroll System Implementation & Project Management

• Serve as project manager for the Paycom payroll implementation, ensuring timelines, milestones, testing, and deliverables are met.


• Partner with Paycom implementation consultants and internal stakeholders to configure the system accurately.


• Translate St. Luke’s policies, CBAs, and current payroll practices into Paycom system rules and configurations.


• Manage parallel payroll runs, system testing, data validation, and issue resolution.


• Provide regular status updates and escalate risks or issues to the VP of HR as needed.

Documentation, Training & Change Management

• Create a comprehensive payroll processing manual documenting procedures, workflows, and controls.


• Develop and deliver training for managers and employees on the new payroll system and payroll expectations.


• Serve as the primary payroll point of contact during and after implementation.


• Communicate payroll changes clearly and effectively to all stakeholders.

Education & Experience Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional payroll experience.


• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive payroll experience, including hands-on payroll processing.


• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting a payroll system implementation.


• Experience working in a multi-entity payroll environment.


• Strong knowledge of wage and hour laws and payroll compliance.


• Experience interpreting and applying collective bargaining agreements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).


• Experience with Paycom, UKG Ready, and/or ADP.


• Project management experience or formal project management training.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.


• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.


• Proven project management and organizational skills.


• Ability to communicate complex payroll concepts to diverse audiences.


• High level of discretion with confidential information.


• Strong documentation and training skills.


• Ability to work independently and take ownership of outcomes.

Compensation:

• Salary Range: $60,000 - $65,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Work Environment & Expectations:

• This role may require flexible hours during payroll processing cycles and implementation milestones.


• Occasional meetings or training sessions outside of standard business hours may be required.


• This role requires other duties as assigned by the HR Manager and/or Vice President of Human Resources.