Accounting Payroll Manager

National Laboratory of the Rockies•Golden, CO

2d•$100,400 - $180,700•Onsite

About The Position

The Accounting Payroll Manager works within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s Financial Operations group at the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Financial Operations supports the organization’s transactional and accounting activities, including accounts payable, general ledger, billing, revenue generation, payroll, and travel. The manager leads accurate, timely, and compliant multi-state payroll operations; supervises and develops payroll staff; and serves as the organization’s payroll subject matter expert. The role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local requirements, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Department of Energy contractual requirements, and NLR policies and procedures. It also strengthens controls and improves payroll processes, systems, and automation in partnership with Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology, vendors, and organizational leadership. The position may perform other accounting and Financial Operations duties as assigned and act as a management delegate on a short-term basis. The role is based in Golden, Colorado, and is listed as regular, 40 hours per week. The annual salary range is $100,400 to $180,700.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field; educational requirements must be met before the employment start date.
At least 14 years of progressively responsible payroll experience.
Demonstrated experience with multi-state payroll, compliance, tax reporting, audits, and payroll system administration.
People leadership or supervisory experience, or experience directing or being responsible for the work of others in an individual-contributor role.
Extensive knowledge of payroll laws, tax requirements, accounting principles, internal controls, and financial reporting.
Proficiency with payroll and HRIS platforms, payroll accounting, Excel, and financial systems; experience with Workday Payroll and Timekeeping or a comparable enterprise system.
Strong leadership, team-development, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy, and strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to collaborate across departments, influence stakeholders, and deliver customer-focused continuous improvement.
Knowledge of legal and ethical management issues and practices, and in-depth knowledge of the applicable field and its best practices.
Excellent organization, project-management, budgeting, interpersonal, and communication skills; proven problem-solving and negotiation skills.
Ability to make appropriate decisions regarding work activities and projects and effectively lead and direct personnel with diverse skills, work styles, and values.
Previous management and budget-adherence experience may be required.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, including a favorable background investigation.
Must pass a pre-employment drug test.

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
Experience leading payroll transformation, automation, or process improvements.
Experience managing outsourced payroll or vendor relationships.
Experience supporting complex payroll structures or multiple jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

Direct accurate and timely multi-state payroll processing; resolve complex issues and escalations; and ensure compliance with tax filings, W-2s, statutory reporting, registrations, and organizational requirements.
Supervise, lead, coach, and develop payroll staff, fostering accountability, collaboration, customer service, and continuous improvement.
Analyze payroll performance and risks and improve payroll processes, systems, automation, policies, procedures, and controls, including corrective actions.
Oversee payroll accounting, including journal entries, accruals, general ledger activity, reconciliations, close support, variance analysis, and management recommendations.
Manage payroll providers, banking partners, benefits vendors, and other third parties, ensuring effective governance and service delivery.
Partner with HR, Finance, IT, vendors, and payroll staff to resolve system issues and support implementations, upgrades, integrations, testing, and configuration improvements.
Coordinate payroll-related audits, maintain supporting documentation, address findings, and ensure effective risk management and compliance.
Research complex technical payroll issues and analyze regulations and statutory standards to assess financial reporting impacts and recommend how to apply standards to new and unusual transactions.
Perform other accounting and Financial Operations duties as assigned.
Act as a management delegate as needed on a short-term basis.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Pension benefits.
403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match.
Life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
Personal time off (PTO) and sick leave.
Paid holidays.
Tuition reimbursement.
Potential eligibility for performance-, merit-, and achievement-based awards with a monetary component; awards are not guaranteed.
Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.