Payroll Manager

CoBank•Greenwood Village, CO

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Payroll Manager is responsible for end-to-end oversight of payroll for a multi-state, multi-entity workforce. This role ensures the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of payroll, while serving as the functional owner of the payroll system. The position requires expertise in payroll system configuration, pay code design, tax compliance, stakeholder management, and controls, and plays a key leadership role in continuous improvement, audits, and regulatory adherence within a highly controlled environment. This position is expected to coach, guide, and provide day to day work direction and resolution to complex pay situations to peers and stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree required
5 years of multi-state, multi-entity payroll administration experience. required
Deep knowledge of U.S. payroll tax and wage/hour compliance.
HRIS configuration and troubleshooting expertise, preferably with Dayforce/Ceridian.
Strong audit, reconciliation, and risk-identification skills.
Ability to coach and build collaborative and effective relationships with stakeholders and peers without formal authority.
Detail-oriented, calm under payroll deadlines, and compliance focused.

Nice To Haves

CPP strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Ensures the timely and accurate processing of HR/payroll information including new hires, terminations, status changes, payroll deductions, and all master file information.
Owns payroll procedures, and cross functional coordination. Resolves escalated payroll issues and enforce payroll policies. Reviews payroll entry work for accuracy and completeness prior to payroll close. Identifies knowledge gaps and process risks and provides guidance/coaching to team members and stakeholders.
Create/modify earning codes, deductions, and pay components (and related priorities/taxability); Pay groups, payroll calendars, and earning priorities; tax configurations and jurisdiction setups. Partners with stakeholders such as HRIS, IT, Finance, and vendor support of configuration testing, system enhancements, and release impacts and regression testing.
Develops systems, controls, methods, and procedures to ensure the integrity of the payroll outcomes and records and compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including cycle controls, quarterly tax reconciliations, year-end balancing, and any other processes to mitigate risks). Recommends and implements change in payroll procedures, existing methods, and internal controls to improve operational efficiency and maintain compliance. Secures audit-ready documentation and evidence for internal/external audits.
Ensures the compliance with all applicable state and federal employment taxation and wage and hour laws and employment tax obligations; resolve agency notices and filing discrepancies in partnership with tax vendors/finance.
Oversees and manages any payroll system conversion(s) and interface(s) with payroll provider, and other organizations as the result of mergers, acquisitions or vendor additions or changes.
Provides guidance and interpretation of accounting theory, GAAP, Sarbanes-Oxley, employment tax laws, policies and procedures related to payroll accounting.
Provides guidance and interpretation of accounting theory, GAAP, Internal Controls for Financial Reporting (ICFR), employment tax laws, policies and procedures related to payroll accounting.
Maintain and evidence controls over payroll inputs, processing, approvals, and outputs (including GL tie-outs and reconciliation). Support review of risk and controls documentation and assessments. Ensure adherence to retention requirements for payroll and supporting financial records.
Develops cross-training strategy to optimize payroll staff resources.