Payroll Lead

F. Schumacher & Co.•New York, NY

1d•$70,000 - $80,000

About The Position

F. Schumacher & Co. is seeking a Payroll Lead to join its Treasury team within the Finance department. Reporting to the Treasury Manager, this hands-on role will run payroll for more than 500 employees while supporting the implementation of Rippling as the company’s new payroll, corporate card, expense reimbursement, and travel system. The role will also help close a former entity in each state where it operates, partnering with Finance on final payment remittances. The Payroll Lead will manage end-to-end payroll processing in UKG, payroll tax registrations and reconciliations, employee records, and related employee inquiries. The position will support data migration and parallel payroll runs as the organization transitions to Rippling, as well as manage corporate cards, expense reimbursements, and travel-related inquiries. This role has no direct reports, but its scope, team size, and influence on payroll operations are expected to grow with the business. The company describes itself as an innovative interior design business with more than 500 employees and a portfolio of fabrics, wallcoverings, trims, furniture, and accessories. Its stated values include preserving its entrepreneurial spirit, taking ownership and accountability, being solutions-oriented, demonstrating courage, practicing adaptability, and embracing collaboration.

Requirements

5–10 years of progressive payroll experience, including end-to-end payroll processing for 500+ employees.
Hands-on experience running payroll in UKG (UKG Pro).
Multi-state payroll experience, including state and local tax registration, filings, and reconciliation.
Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, including final-pay rules.
Ability to reconcile payroll registers, tax filings, and general ledger entries.
Proficiency with MS Windows and the Microsoft Office suite.
Advanced Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs and pivot tables, for audits and reconciliations.
High attention to detail and sound judgment when handling confidential data.
Ability to meet fixed payroll deadlines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and change direction based on business needs.
Comfort working across multiple systems.
High level of ownership, accountability, and initiative.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field.
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
Experience with Rippling or similar payroll systems.
Experience closing out an entity, including payroll tax account closures across multiple states.
Year-end payroll experience, including W-2 processing.
Experience overseeing a corporate card program and online portals such as Rippling, Amex, or JPMorgan PaymentNet.
Experience processing expense reimbursements using a system such as Rippling or Expensify.
Experience managing a company travel system such as Rippling or Concur.
Experience managing a team or direct report.

Responsibilities

Run the full payroll cycle for 500+ employees, from data intake through final approval and funding.
Enter payroll transactions in UKG, including hires, terminations, pay changes, bonuses, commissions, incentives, deductions, garnishments, and off-cycle payments.
Maintain accurate employee pay, tax, direct deposit, and deduction information in UKG.
Prepare and review pre- and post-payroll audits and variance reports, and resolve discrepancies before payroll is finalized.
Process off-cycle, manual, and final paychecks in accordance with state final-pay requirements.
Respond promptly and accurately to employee and manager payroll questions.
Manage state and local payroll tax registrations, including account setups, rate updates, and agency correspondence.
Reconcile payroll tax filings and payments against payroll registers and agency records each pay period and quarter.
Research and resolve tax notices, penalties, and account discrepancies.
Support Q4 and year-end close, including W-2 preparation and review.
Assist with payroll runs during the UKG-to-Rippling transition, including parallel runs.
Gather, validate, and map migration data, including employee records, earnings and deduction codes, tax setups, and year-to-date balances.
Test Rippling payroll results and reconcile them against UKG output.
Document new payroll processes and controls, and keep registrations current in both UKG and Rippling.
Work on the transition of POA and TPA to Rippling in January.
Help close the former entity in each operating state, including payroll tax account closures and final filings.
Coordinate with Finance on payment remittances to tax agencies and other payees associated with the former entity.
Track entity-closure status by state and escalate open items or risks.
Manage the corporate card program, including issuing, replacing, and cancelling cards and booking journal entries for card transactions.
Process biweekly employee expense reimbursements.
Manage a shared inbox for inquiries about expense reimbursements, corporate cards, and travel.
Assist with additional projects and reporting as needed.
Manage inquiries in a timely and professional manner, provide accurate information, and deliver a strong customer experience.