Payroll Manager

Pacific Maritime Group Inc DBA Pacific Tugboat Service Inc • San Diego, CA

5d • $95,000 - $105,000

About The Position

The Payroll Manager reports directly to the Company’s Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for the end-to-end payroll function for Pacific Maritime Group and its affiliated entities. The role ensures accurate and timely payroll for office staff, vessel crews, and field personnel; compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour, payroll tax, and reporting requirements; and fulfillment of prevailing wage and certified payroll obligations on public works and government contracts. The Payroll Manager hires, trains, and supervises the payroll team, sets company-wide payroll policy, and collaborates with Accounting, Human Resources, Operations, and project managers in a marine construction and vessel operations environment.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of progressive payroll experience, including at least 2 years supervising or managing payroll staff.
• Hands-on experience with prevailing wage requirements (Davis-Bacon and/or California DIR) and certified payroll reporting.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and California wage and hour law, payroll tax, and government reporting requirements.
• Experience with general ledger reconciliations, payroll journal entries, and accruals, with a solid understanding of payroll accounting.
• Proficiency with a major payroll/HRIS platform such as ADP, Paychex, Paycom, UKG, or similar, and certified payroll software such as LCPtracker, eMars, or similar.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail, with the ability to meet firm deadlines every pay cycle.
• Good judgment regarding confidentiality and comfort interacting directly with executives, crews, auditors, and government agencies.

Nice To Haves

• Multi-entity payroll experience.
• Maritime, marine construction, construction, or field-crew payroll experience.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
• Union payroll and fringe benefit reporting under collective bargaining agreements.
• Service Contract Act (SCA) wage and fringe requirements on federal contracts.
• Job costing and labor distribution in a project-based business.
• Payroll or HRIS system implementation or conversion.

Responsibilities

• Oversee accurate and timely payroll processing for salaried, hourly, vessel, and field crew employees across multiple company entities and locations, including regular pay, overtime, bonuses, per diem, and other pay components.
• Review and approve timekeeping data and work with Operations and project managers to resolve time, job-costing, and labor-coding discrepancies before payroll is finalized.
• Process terminations and off-cycle and final payments in accordance with California timing requirements.
• Administer garnishments, levies, and support orders in compliance with applicable laws and court orders.
• Serve as the primary administrator of the payroll/HRIS system and maintain earnings codes, deduction codes, tax setups, and general ledger mapping.
• Maintain and apply prevailing wage determinations, including federal Davis-Bacon and California DIR requirements, by project, craft, and classification; track updates and implement required wage and fringe increases.
• Prepare and submit accurate, timely certified payroll reports, including federal WH-347 and California DIR eCPR, for public works and government-funded projects.
• Administer fringe benefit credits, training fund contributions, and related documentation for prevailing wage projects.
• Respond to labor compliance audits, agency inquiries, and prime contractor or customer payroll record requests; maintain audit-ready records for covered projects.
• Coordinate with Contracts, Legal, and project managers at project award to confirm prevailing wage applicability, classifications, and reporting requirements.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including FLSA and California wage and hour law, payroll tax, and reporting requirements; monitor regulatory changes and implement updates.
• Review payroll tax returns and government reporting for accuracy, including quarterly and annual federal and state filings, W-2s, and ACA reporting.
• Reconcile benefit deductions, 401(k) contributions, and third-party remittances; support workers’ compensation, 401(k), and financial statement audits with payroll data and reports.
• Maintain payroll records according to federal and state retention requirements and safeguard confidential employee information.
• Hire, train, supervise, and develop payroll staff and administrators; set performance expectations and ensure cross-trained backup coverage.
• Establish, document, and maintain company-wide policies and procedures for garnishments, bonuses, time tracking, pay practices, and payroll controls.
• Develop and maintain internal controls and segregation of duties for the payroll function.
• Serve as the escalation point for payroll questions from employees, managers, and crews, resolving issues promptly and professionally.
• Partner with Human Resources, Accounting, Operations, and Legal on compensation changes, benefit deductions, policy updates, and workforce reporting.
• Identify and implement process and system improvements to increase payroll accuracy and efficiency.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Sick and vacation package.
• Paid holidays.
• Company-paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Additional voluntary benefits, including FSA, Aflac products, and additional life insurance.
• Year-end bonus opportunity.

What This Job Offers

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