Payroll Manager

We’re looking for a hands-on, compliance-driven Payroll Manager to take ownership of payroll at a high-growth, billion-dollar energy company in its first year as a publicly traded firm. 

Payroll is moving from HR into the Finance organization, and you will own that transition and everything that follows: operations, payroll tax compliance, controls, and overall process execution. You will run payroll on Paylocity for a multi-state workforce that includes both employees and contractors, build the documentation and controls a public company requires, and set the standard for accuracy and service that employees feel every payday. 

This role reports to the Chief Accounting Officer and is supported by a Senior Accountant, Payroll Accounting dedicated to payroll accounting, reconciliations, and reporting. It is a hands-on individual contributor leadership role: you own the function end-to-end, run the process yourself, and build the team as headcount and complexity grow. 

This role is for someone who treats payroll as both a controls discipline and a service function – precise under deadline pressure, fluent in multi-state payroll tax, and comfortable building structure where none exists. 

Key Responsibilities 

Payroll Operations 

• Own end-to-end payroll processing in Paylocity for salaried and hourly employees across multiple states, including regular cycles, off-cycle runs, retro adjustments, terminations, and bonus payrolls. 
• Process equity-related payroll events, including RSU vesting and associated tax withholding, in coordination with equity administration. 
• Administer garnishments, levies, direct deposit, deductions, and benefits-related payroll changes in coordination with HR. 
• Own the payroll calendar, cutoffs, and approval workflows; deliver accurate, on-time payroll every cycle. 
• Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation for payroll questions from employees and leadership. 

Transition & Process Execution 

• Lead the migration of payroll ownership from HR into Finance with no disruption to employees. 
• Build and document end-to-end payroll processes, standard operating procedures, and cycle checklists where little documentation exists today. 
• Rebuild and maintain the payroll-to-GL mapping between Paylocity and Oracle Fusion in partnership with payroll accounting. 
• Identify and implement automation and process improvements across the payroll lifecycle. 

Payroll Tax & Multi-State Compliance 

• Own payroll tax compliance across a growing multi-state footprint, including state and local registrations, SUI and SIT accounts, and agency notice resolution. 
• Track the state footprint of a distributed workforce and complete registrations timely as employees are hired into new jurisdictions. 
• Oversee federal, state, and local payroll tax filings and payments – Forms 941, W-2, state equivalents, and amendments – whether executed through Paylocity tax services or directly. 
• Partner with the VP of Tax on payroll tax strategy, worker classification, and jurisdictional exposure. 
• Coordinate with Accounts Payable on contractor payments and Form 1099 reporting. 

Controls, Audit & Public Company Readiness 

• Design, document, and operate SOX-ready payroll controls, including segregation of duties, system access reviews, change reporting, and approval evidence. 
• Support internal and external audit requests, including walkthroughs, PBC items, and control testing. 
• Maintain a high standard of confidentiality and data discipline around compensation information. 

Reporting & Partnering 

• Produce payroll, labor cost, and headcount reporting for Finance and company leadership. 
• Support month-end close in partnership with payroll accounting: accruals, funding reconciliations, and variance explanations. 
• Partner with HR on onboarding, offboarding, benefits, and compensation changes, and with FP&A on labor cost inputs.