Payroll Manager

Loop Capital•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Payroll Manager owns day-to-day payroll administration and ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple states and entities. The role personally manages end-to-end payroll for various employee groups and schedules, administers payroll changes and payments, and responds to employee payroll inquiries. The position coordinates payroll tax activities, develops and maintains payroll controls and reconciliations, supports audits and reporting, and documents payroll procedures. It also manages payroll accounting in partnership with Finance and Accounting, supports benefits and retirement-plan payroll responsibilities, and contributes to compensation, benefits, and headcount budgeting and forecasting. The Payroll Manager maintains and optimizes payroll and HRIS systems and works with HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, and IT on payroll, compensation, tax, benefits, and compliance matters. The position is based in Chicago, Illinois. Loop Capital describes its culture as collaborative and innovative and emphasizes diversity, inclusion, professional growth, and purpose-driven work.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 5 years of end-to-end payroll experience.
Strong multi-state payroll knowledge.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Self-motivated and accountable, with eagerness to learn in a collaborative, entrepreneurial environment.

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with HCM platforms preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage end-to-end payroll processing for salaried, hourly, commissioned, and other designated employee groups across multiple states, legal entities, and payroll schedules.
Maintain payroll calendars, approvals, and deadlines to support accurate and timely processing.
Validate and process new hires, terminations, compensation changes, leaves of absence, and other employee changes affecting payroll.
Administer commissions, bonuses, off-cycle payments, retroactive adjustments, reversals, voids, and payroll corrections.
Process employee deductions and garnishments in accordance with applicable requirements.
Oversee spreadsheet-based timesheets and other manual timekeeping inputs for hourly and nonexempt employees until an integrated timekeeping solution is implemented.
Respond to employee payroll inquiries and advise HR on payroll implications of compensation decisions, leaves, and terminations.
Coordinate payroll tax setup, withholding, reporting, and issue resolution across applicable federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
Establish, maintain, and improve payroll controls and reconciliations before, during, and after processing.
Review payroll activity—including headcount, wages, pay, taxes, deductions, commissions, bonuses, and employer costs—to identify and resolve discrepancies.
Manage quarterly and year-end payroll activities, including balancing, tax reporting, Form W-2 preparation, and corrections.
Coordinate payroll audits and serve as the primary contact with tax authorities, external auditors, and payroll-related service providers.
Provide audit documentation, explanations, reconciliations, and corrective-action support.
Document payroll procedures, workflows, dependencies, controls, approvals, escalation points, and recurring deadlines.
Protect the confidentiality and security of employee and payroll information.
Manage payroll-related general ledger accounts in partnership with Finance and Accounting, and research payroll-to-ledger differences.
Partner with HR on benefit elections, enrollment changes, and employee deductions; coordinate provider billing and enrollment reconciliations.
Manage 401(k) payroll responsibilities, including employee contributions, employer match calculations, reporting, and monitoring applicable plan provisions and contribution limits.
Support the annual retirement plan audit and Form 5500 reporting.
Support compensation, benefits, and headcount budgeting and forecasting.
Maintain and optimize payroll and HRIS systems, supporting implementations, upgrades, integrations, and automation initiatives.
Evaluate current practices and implement improvements to accuracy, consistency, efficiency, internal controls, and auditability.
Partner with HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, and IT on payroll, compensation, tax, benefits, and related compliance matters.