Payroll Manager

Walbec Group•Waukesha, WI

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Walbec Group produces high-quality construction materials and delivers unparalleled professional design, engineering and construction services at its six companies, including Payne and Dolan, Northeast Asphalt, Zenith Tech, Parisi, Premier Concrete, and Construction Resources Management. Whether building bridges, stabilizing shorelines, rehabilitating structures, or providing site engineering and construction solutions for solar, Walbec is your bridge to expertise in construction and engineering. With safety and ethics at the core of everything we do, our experienced professionals are hard at work on commercial and industrial sites throughout the Midwest. We are seeking an experienced, strategically minded Payroll Manager to lead one of the most complex payroll operations in the construction industry. Across 6 companies, 30+ union agreements, prevailing wage obligations in multiple states, and a workforce of union and non-union hourly employees, our payroll function demands both deep technical expertise and strong operational leadership. This role is responsible for the accurate, compliant, and timely execution of weekly hourly payroll—and for building the systems, processes, and talent required to scale that operation from our current footprint in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan to a model capable of supporting all 48 contiguous states. You will lead a team of 12, own our payroll technology ecosystem (CMIC and Workday), drive continuous improvement, and serve as a cross-functional partner on M&A integrations, system implementations, and HR technology development. This is not a maintenance role. We need a leader who will challenge the status quo, fix what is broken, build what is missing, and create a payroll operation that is a competitive advantage for our business.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field; equivalent experience considered
7+ years of payroll experience with at least 3–4 years in a payroll management or senior payroll leadership role
Demonstrated experience managing payroll for union workforces, including CBA analysis, union remittances, and union audit response
Hands-on experience with prevailing wage compliance (Davis-Bacon, state prevailing wage laws, certified payroll reporting)
Multi-company and multi-state payroll processing experience required; experience in construction, heavy civil, or a similarly complex field workforce environment strongly preferred
Direct experience with CMIC ERP (payroll module) strongly preferred; candidates with comparable construction ERP experience (Viewpoint, Spectrum, Foundation) will be considered
Working knowledge of Workday HCM and payroll-adjacent integrations
Experience leading a payroll team of 5+ people; ability to develop, coach, and hold a team accountable
Track record of leading payroll system implementations, upgrades, or integrations; experience with patch/upgrade testing cycles a plus
Deep knowledge of federal payroll law: FLSA, IRS payroll tax regulations, FUTA/SUTA, garnishment rules, and W-2/W-4 compliance
Working knowledge of multi-state payroll tax obligations, state unemployment insurance, and state-specific pay practices
Understanding of union benefit fund structures (health & welfare, pension, annuity, apprenticeship, vacation funds) and remittance mechanics
Proficiency in payroll reporting and data analysis; Excel expertise required; experience with payroll analytics or BI tools a plus
Familiarity with certified payroll reporting requirements under Davis-Bacon and state equivalents; experience with LCPtracker, B2Gnow, or similar platforms a plus
Operates with a high degree of integrity and discretion; payroll data is among the most sensitive information in the organization
Proven ability to manage complexity—multiple companies, multiple CBAs, multiple jurisdictions—without sacrificing accuracy or timeliness
Strategic thinker who can design scalable systems and processes, not just manage the day-to-day
Strong communicator who can translate complex payroll topics for non-payroll audiences including Operations, HR, and Finance leadership
Continuous improvement mindset; experience with process redesign, automation, or shared services transition a plus
Effective cross-functional collaborator; experience working alongside HR, Finance, IT, Legal, and Labor Relations
Calm under pressure; able to maintain accuracy and team morale through weekly payroll cycles, audits, and system changes simultaneously

Nice To Haves

CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation preferred; FPC or equivalent considered

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end accountability for accurate, on-time weekly payroll processing for all hourly employees (union and non-union) across 6 companies and approximately 1,300 workers today
Manage payroll execution within CMIC as the primary payroll processing platform; ensure data integrity and accuracy of all inputs flowing from Workday
Oversee payroll for a highly complex rate environment: 6 companies with distinct rate sheets, pay rules, fringe benefit structures, and compensation expectations
Ensure proper handling of all payroll complexity: certified payroll, prevailing wage, multi-state taxation, garnishments, shift differentials, and retroactive adjustments
Maintain overall accountability for federal, state, and local payroll tax filings across all 6 companies on a weekly and periodic basis
Own the payroll calendar and ensure all processing deadlines, funding deadlines, and regulatory filing dates are consistently met
Serve as the final escalation point for payroll discrepancies, corrections, and complex employee pay inquiries
Maintain deep, working knowledge of all active collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) across union companies; translate contract language into payroll rules, rates, and remittance obligations
Oversee accurate and timely union remittances to all applicable funds (health & welfare, pension, apprenticeship, vacation, industry promotion, etc.) on behalf of all signatory companies
Lead preparation for and response to union payroll audits; maintain audit-ready records and ensure compliance documentation is current
Analyze new and renewed CBAs in partnership with Senior Operations Management and Labor Relations; identify payroll impacts and ensure timely system configuration changes in CMIC
Own prevailing wage compliance across all applicable states and project types; lead annual Department of Workforce Development (DWD) prevailing wage rate surveys on a job-specific basis
Partner with State Transportation Departments, the U.S. Department of Labor, and State DWD agencies on compliance obligations, including electronic certified payroll and prevailing wage initiatives
Monitor legislative and regulatory changes to prevailing wage, Davis-Bacon, and state equivalents; proactively update payroll processes and communicate impacts to Operations and Finance
Serve as the functional owner of payroll within CMIC ERP; maintain configuration accuracy for all pay rules, rate tables, union setups, and company-specific logic
Partner with the HRIS team and IT on the Workday-to-CMIC integration; ensure data flows (new hires, job changes, rate changes, deductions) are accurate, timely, and auditable
Lead payroll participation in CMIC bi-annual patch and upgrade testing: develop test scripts, coordinate the payroll team’s testing efforts, validate results, and approve readiness for deployment
Lead payroll team involvement in Workday integration testing, including regression testing for payroll-adjacent modules (Benefits, Absence, Core HCM)
Identify opportunities to automate manual payroll processes through CMIC configuration, Workday workflow improvements, or third-party integrations
Maintain documentation of all payroll system configurations, integrations, and custom setups; ensure continuity and knowledge transfer within the team
Lead, develop, and hold accountable a payroll team of 12: 1 Payroll Team Lead, 1 Process Improvement Lead, 1 Labor Compliance Lead and approximately 9 Payroll and Labor Compliance Specialists
Set clear performance expectations, provide regular feedback, and conduct formal performance reviews; coach team members toward growth and advancement
Own workforce planning for the Payroll department: staffing levels, role design, succession planning, and skill gap assessment as the company grows nationally
Build a team culture grounded in accuracy, accountability, continuous improvement, and a service orientation toward the business
Develop and maintain a robust training and cross-training program so payroll operations can scale, adapt to acquisitions, and withstand turnover without disruption
Partner with the Process Improvement Lead to drive a structured, ongoing program of payroll process optimization
Conduct a comprehensive audit of current payroll processes; identify inefficiencies, compliance risks, and manual work that should be automated or eliminated
Own and prioritize the payroll process improvement roadmap; drive measurable improvements in processing time, error rates, and team capacity
Standardize payroll processes across all 6 companies where possible, while maintaining the flexibility needed for company-specific requirements
Establish and monitor payroll KPIs and metrics: error rate, on-time processing rate, remittance accuracy, audit findings, and team productivity
Develop and maintain comprehensive payroll procedure documentation for all processes; ensure documentation is current and accessible to the team
Evaluate and recommend tools, technologies, and vendor relationships that improve the efficiency and accuracy of payroll operations
Serve as the Payroll lead on all M&A transactions; participate in due diligence to assess payroll complexity, union obligations, and compliance risk of target companies
Lead payroll integration planning and execution: CMIC setup for new companies, Workday data migration, rate table configuration, CBA analysis, and Day 1 payroll readiness
Develop and maintain a repeatable M&A payroll integration playbook; continuously refine based on lessons learned
Advise HR Operations and executive leadership on payroll timelines, resource requirements, and risk factors for each acquisition
Architect the roadmap for expanding our payroll operation from its current WI/IL/MI footprint to a model capable of processing hourly payroll in all 48 contiguous states
Develop a multi-state payroll compliance framework covering: state income tax withholding and registration, state unemployment insurance (SUI), prevailing wage by jurisdiction, certified payroll requirements, and state-specific paystub and pay frequency laws
Advise on CMIC and Workday configuration requirements for new state setups; partner with HR Operations and Finance on multi-entity payroll structure
Lead the evaluation and selection of any third-party tools, tax engines, or compliance services needed to support national payroll operations at scale
Serve as a thought leader in payroll best practices for the construction industry; benchmark against peers and bring forward-looking recommendations to HR and Finance leadership
Maintain overall accountability for payroll-related regulatory filings: federal and multi-state payroll taxes, W-2s, certified payroll reports, and any required state labor department submissions
Provide payroll reporting and analysis to Senior Management, Finance, Operations, and HR as needed; develop standard payroll dashboards and exception reports
Ensure the Payroll department operates with the highest standards of data confidentiality and information security; enforce access controls and data handling protocols
Stay current on federal and state payroll tax law, labor law, and regulatory changes; proactively assess impacts and drive timely compliance updates
Coordinate with internal audit, external auditors, and union auditors; maintain audit-ready records and lead audit response activities