Manager, Payroll & Accounts Payable
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 manager sets operating priorities, manages and develops the team, owns escalations and control execution, and drives continuous improvement across recurring, deadline-sensitive processes. The role partners with Human Resources, Accounting, Legal, Tax, business stakeholders, and external providers to maintain compliance, safeguard confidential data, and reduce operational and fraud risk. This position oversees payroll processing and compliance, accounts payable, employee expenses and reimbursements, payment operations, vendor master-data controls, audit support, and related reporting. It monitors performance and team capacity, resolves operational issues, coordinates testing with process owners and providers, and improves processes, reporting, documentation, and automation while protecting confidential information. The role is based in a flexible hybrid work environment. Employees must live in North Carolina within commuting distance (approximately a one-hour commute) of the Morrisville, NC headquarters and are expected to work onsite there approximately 30 days per quarter.
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 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.
- Must live in North Carolina within commuting distance of the Morrisville headquarters, approximately a one-hour commute.
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, year-end reporting including W-2s, 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 control gaps and implement corrective action.
- 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, and automation, and use approved AI-enabled productivity tools while maintaining human validation, access controls, and protection of confidential information.
Benefits
- Health and wellness benefits package, including health coverage with the employee portion of the monthly healthcare premium paid by Relias.
- 401(k) match.
- Flexible PTO program.
- Inclusive parental leave policy.
- Flexible hybrid work environment with onsite and work-from-home options.
- Employee Resource Groups open to all employees.
- Comprehensive onboarding program.
- Growth and career advancement opportunities and internal mobility.
- Leadership and professional development programs, including technology and data science Nanodegree options.
- Professional development through conference attendance and participation in organizations such as NC Tech.
- Onsite coffee shop providing free coffee and pastries.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
