Payroll Manager

Current • Tucson, AZ

5d

About The Position

The Payroll Manager leads payroll and retirement-plan execution for a portfolio of client businesses within Client Accounting Services (CAS). This hands-on supervisory role manages service delivery, develops assigned staff, coordinates external providers, and processes payroll when needed. The Tax team determines tax positions, wage instructions, plan design, and contribution strategy. The Payroll Manager implements those decisions, verifies completion, and escalates changes rather than independently redesigning the plan or tax approach.

The role serves as the day-to-day client contact for payroll and plan matters, conducts quarterly reviews, and manages portfolio calendars, deadlines, workload, engagement effort, and delivery risks. It coordinates with Tax, third-party administrators, recordkeepers, and actuaries, and maintains documented records of processing, funding, filings, testing, corrections, and open issues.

Success expectations include documenting portfolio arrangements, deadlines, and open exposures within 90 days; establishing regular quarterly client reviews and monthly funding confirmation within six months; and completing payroll and plan cycles accurately and on time over the first year while developing staff capability and preventing avoidable amendments or inactive accounts.

Requirements

• 4–6+ years in US tax or tax-side payroll, serving closely held businesses and their owners.
• Hands-on qualified retirement-plan experience covering contributions, funding, testing, and filings.
• End-to-end payroll platform proficiency and knowledge of federal and state filings, multi-state withholding, and unemployment.
• Working fluency in S corporations and partnerships, with the ability to explain payroll and plan implications to clients.
• Supervisory experience, including review of complex workpapers, coaching, performance conversations, and hands-on payroll processing.
• Strong client communication and project management skills.
• Sound judgment with complex information, competing priorities, and escalation decisions.

Nice To Haves

• ADP experience.
• Active CPA or EA credential in good standing; neither is required.
• Defined benefit or cash balance experience working with an actuary.
• Experience managing a multi-client portfolio in public accounting and improving documented workflows.
• Spanish language skills for clients who prefer Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Lead portfolio planning and delivery against payroll calendars, quality standards, and client service expectations; allocate work and personally process payroll when needed.
• Verify payroll setup, changes, reports, and client cash requests against Tax-team instructions, clearly distinguishing payroll taxes from retirement-plan funding.
• Oversee federal and multi-state payroll filings, registrations, notices, and reconciliations; coordinate technical issues with Tax and ensure follow-through.
• Capture taxable benefits and other W-2 items before the final year-end payroll; monitor inactive accounts and resolve processing gaps before service is interrupted.
• Verify deferrals, matching, and employer contributions for 401(k), profit-sharing, SEP, and SIMPLE arrangements against approved instructions; promptly raise limit or funding discrepancies.
• Confirm plan contributions arrive, track payroll-to-deposit timing, escalate late or missing funding, and follow corrections through documented completion.
• Coordinate census, testing, Form 5500 filings or extensions, and corrections with third-party administrators and recordkeepers.
• Coordinate actuarial valuations and approved funding for defined benefit and cash balance plans.
• Serve as the day-to-day client contact, explain payroll and plan matters accurately, and conduct quarterly reviews.
• Document changes and escalate decisions affecting tax positions or plan suitability.
• Review payroll workpapers and supporting records; coach assigned staff, provide performance feedback, and manage delegation, capacity, and competing deadlines.
• Monitor engagement effort, scope, and delivery risks; resolve operational issues, escalate exceptions, and improve repeatable workflows through standards and appropriate automation.
• Maintain portfolio calendars, client instructions, processing status, open items, risk and escalation logs, and secure supporting records.
• Track plan funding receipts and timing, filing confirmations, provider deliverables, testing results, corrections, and year-end readiness.
• Use workload, capacity, engagement-hour, utilization, and scope-change information to manage delivery and identify improvements.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance, with options for fully paid employee-only health and dental coverage.
• Company-paid life insurance and long-term and short-term disability insurance.
• Supplemental life insurance, critical illness, and accident insurance.
• Classic Safe Harbor 401(k) plan with employer contributions.
• Professional growth, learning, and development opportunities, including access to Becker and LinkedIn Learning.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed