Payroll Lead

Bland Landscaping Company•Apex, NC

About The Position

The Payroll Lead is an individual contributor responsible for accurate, timely, and compliant weekly payroll for approximately 1,200 employees across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. This role owns the payroll cycle from input review through reconciliation, serves as the go-to payroll subject-matter expert, and partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, branch leadership, and payroll vendors. The position has no direct reports but carries enterprise-wide accountability and requires sound judgment, strong controls, and strict confidentiality.

Requirements

Accurate, timely, and compliant weekly payroll processing for approximately 1,200 employees.
Ownership of the payroll cycle from input review through reconciliation.
Subject-matter expertise in payroll.
Partnership with Human Resources, Finance, branch leadership, and payroll vendors.
Sound judgment, strong controls, and strict confidentiality.
Experience with benefit, 401(k), garnishment, child support, levy, housing, and uniform deductions.
Experience with payroll registers, taxes, and deductions reconciliation.
Experience reconciling payroll-related vendor invoices.
Experience providing payroll reports and journal-entry support to Finance and Accounting.
Experience supporting internal, external, benefit, and workers’ compensation audits.
Knowledge of federal and NC, SC, and FL payroll tax and wage-and-hour requirements.
Experience with quarterly and year-end processing, including W-2s, W-2cs, 1095s, and SUTA/FUTA reporting.
Experience working with payroll vendors and agencies to resolve tax notices and filing discrepancies.
Experience supporting payroll processing for H-2B workers.
Ability to stay current on payroll regulations and escalate compliance risks.
Ability to serve as the primary contact for employee payroll questions and resolve issues promptly.
Ability to partner with HR and Benefits to ensure payroll-impacting changes are accurate and timely.
Ability to communicate payroll deadlines and process changes clearly.
Ability to maintain accurate payroll data across HR, payroll, and timekeeping systems.
Ability to protect confidential employee, compensation, and banking information.
Ability to document payroll procedures, checklists, and backup plans.
Ability to identify root causes of recurring errors and implement practical fixes.
Ability to serve as payroll subject-matter expert for system upgrades and implementations.

Responsibilities

Process weekly payroll for approximately 1,200 employees accurately and on time.
Review and validate time records, PTO, overtime, bonuses, and other earnings before processing.
Enter and verify new hires, terminations, transfers, pay changes, and direct-deposit updates.
Work with branch leaders to resolve missing or inaccurate time before payroll deadlines.
Complete pre- and post-payroll audits and confirm successful funding and payment.
Process off-cycle payments, final pay, corrections, and voids as needed.
Administer benefit, 401(k), garnishment, child support, levy, housing, and uniform deductions.
Reconcile payroll registers, taxes, and deductions each cycle and resolve variances.
Reconcile payroll-related vendor invoices and provide coding to Accounts Payable.
Provide payroll reports and journal-entry support to Finance and Accounting.
Support internal, external, benefit, and workers’ compensation audits.
Ensure compliance with federal and NC, SC, and FL payroll tax and wage-and-hour requirements.
Coordinate quarterly and year-end processing, including W-2s, W-2cs, 1095s, and SUTA/FUTA reporting.
Work with payroll vendors and agencies to resolve tax notices and filing discrepancies.
Support payroll processing for H-2B workers, including arrivals and departures.
Stay current on payroll regulations and escalate compliance risks promptly.
Serve as the primary contact for employee payroll questions and resolve issues promptly.
Partner with HR and Benefits to ensure payroll-impacting changes are accurate and timely.
Communicate payroll deadlines and process changes clearly to branches and leaders.
Maintain accurate payroll data across HR, payroll, and timekeeping systems.
Protect confidential employee, compensation, and banking information.
Document payroll procedures, checklists, and backup plans to ensure continuity.
Identify root causes of recurring errors and implement practical fixes.
Serve as payroll subject-matter expert for system upgrades and implementations.