Manager, Payroll & Accounts Payable

Bertelsmann•Morrisville, NC

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Payroll & Accounts Payable leads payroll, accounts payable, vendor master-data review, and travel-and-expense operations to ensure accurate, timely, controlled payments and reliable accounting records. The role sets operating priorities, manages and develops the team, owns escalations and control execution, and drives continuous improvement across recurring, deadline-sensitive processes. The Manager partners with Human Resources, Accounting, Legal, Tax, business stakeholders, and external providers to maintain compliance, safeguard confidential data, and reduce operational and fraud risk. The position oversees payroll processing and governance, accounts payable and payment operations, vendor master-data controls, team performance, and process improvement. It includes approximately 30 days per quarter onsite at Relias’s Morrisville, North Carolina headquarters, with a flexible hybrid work environment for employees living within commuting distance in North Carolina.

Requirements

At least 5 years of progressive experience in payroll, accounts payable, accounting operations, or a related field, including substantial hands-on payroll processing and review of registers, payments, reconciliations, controls, and documentation.
At least 2 years of direct people-management experience, formal or informal, including responsibility for work allocation, quality review, coaching, performance expectations, and deadline coverage.
Experience managing multi-state payroll and at least one adjacent operating area, such as accounts payable, vendor master data, employee expenses, payment operations, or accounting close support.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading payroll and accounts-payable operations in a multi-state, multi-entity, or regulated environment.
Experience with UKG or a comparable payroll/timekeeping platform; a major ERP such as Intacct, NetSuite, or SAP; and procure-to-pay or expense platforms such as Coupa or Concur.
Experience with payroll taxes, wage and hour requirements, incentive compensation, vendor and payment controls, 1099s, unclaimed property, audits, and year-end reporting.
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP); Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) may be considered with demonstrated management scope.

Responsibilities

Lead Payroll and MDM Specialists and Accounts Payable Specialists by setting priorities, allocating work, reviewing quality, coaching performance, building capability, and maintaining coverage for critical deadlines.
Establish service expectations, escalation paths, process ownership, and operating routines across payroll, accounts payable, master data, travel and expense, and payments.
Oversee scheduled and off-cycle payroll processing, including inputs, earnings, deductions, taxes, adjustments, funding, approvals, and final payroll controls.
Review payroll registers, variances, exceptions, reconciliations, funding needs, and required approvals; document review results and resolve or escalate material issues.
Own payroll compliance operations, tax notices, records, audit support, W-2 year-end reporting, and escalated employee matters in coordination with HR, Tax, Legal, and external providers.
Oversee invoice validation, coding, approvals, posting, payment scheduling, refunds, employee reimbursements, aging, exceptions, and supplier inquiries.
Oversee payment runs, validate payment details and required approvals, coordinate funding, and resolve returned, voided, or exception payments.
Manage 1099 activities, unclaimed-property support, period-end requirements, and audit-ready documentation.
Oversee vendor master-data controls, including setup and change reviews, tax documentation, sanctions screening, duplicate detection, banking verification, and record retention.
Maintain controls across processing, review, approvals, master data, expenses, and payments, including segregation of duties, data protection, confidentiality, fraud prevention, documentation, and business continuity; identify gaps and implement corrective actions.
Monitor service levels, backlogs, errors, deadlines, reconciliations, and team capacity; use data to identify root causes and prioritize corrective action.
Coordinate payroll, payables, expense, and master-data issue resolution and testing with process owners, technical support, and external providers.
Improve processes, reporting, documentation, automation, and use of approved AI-enabled productivity tools while maintaining human validation, access controls, and protection of confidential information.

Benefits

Health and wellness benefits package, including an outstanding 401k match.
Flexible PTO program.
Generous and inclusive parental leave policy.
Relias pays for the employee portion of the monthly healthcare premium.
Flexible work environment with onsite and work-from-home options.
Employee Resource Groups open to all employees.
Comprehensive onboarding program.
Growth and career advancement opportunities, including internal mobility.
Leadership development, professional development curriculums, and Nanodegree options in technology and data science.
Professional development through conference attendance and participation in organizations such as NC Tech.
Onsite 321 Coffee Shop providing free coffee and pastries to employees.