Payroll Manager
About The Position
Quest Defense Systems and Solutions is part of a 25-year journey toward building a centenary company, we are driven by aspiration, hunger, and a culture of humility. As a team of remarkably diverse employees, we recognize that what we are really engineering is a brighter future for us all. If you want to contribute to meaningful work and be part of an organization that truly believes when you win, we all win, and when you fail, we all learn, then we’re eager to hear from you. As our Payroll Manager , owns the strategy, compliance, and execution of payroll operations for a growing multi-state workforce of 700+ employees across 35+ states. This role ensures 100% accurate and timely payroll while serving as the organization’s subject matter expert on payroll compliance, tax regulations, internal controls, and audit readiness. The Payroll Manager leads payroll governance, oversees systems, and partners closely with HR and Finance to ensure payroll integrity and scalability. Payroll is a critical control function within our organization — this role directly supports regulatory compliance, financial accuracy, and employee trust.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting , Finance, Business, or related field
- 8 + years of progressive payroll experience and ownership
- Experience managing multi-state payroll (35+)
- Experience supporting 500–1,000+ employees
- Strong knowledge of wage/hour compliance and multi-state tax regulations
- Experience with enterprise payroll systems (ADP, UKG, Paycom, etc.)
- Experience supporting audits and maintaining payroll controls
- Advanced Excel skills
- CPP certification strongly preferred
Nice To Haves
- Experience in government contracting environments
- Familiarity with labor categories, timekeeping controls, and DCAA compliance
- Experience leading payroll through integration or high-growth environments
Responsibilities
- Own and oversee biweekly payroll processing for 700+ employees across 38 + states
- Ensure 100% accuracy of earnings, deductions, taxes, bonuses, commissions, and overtime
- Review and approve payroll prior to final transmission
- Oversee tax filings, year-end processing, W-2s, and corrections
- Oversee payroll analysis and reporting
- Maintain Backup for processing payroll as needed
- Serve as internal expert on federal, state, and local wage and tax laws
- Ensure compliance with FLSA, multi-state taxation, garnishments, and leave programs
- Maintain payroll internal controls, documentation, and SOPs
- Support financial statement audits, payroll audits, and tax audits
- Ensure proper system access controls and segregation of duties
- Act as system owner for payroll platform (ADP or equivalent)
- Oversee payroll configuration, earnings codes, accrual structures, and integrations
- Lead payroll process improvements and automation initiatives
- Ensure payroll reconciliations to general ledger are accurate and timely
- Partner with HR on compensation changes, benefits deductions, and employee status changes
- Partner with Finance on month-end close, accruals, and labor reporting
- Provide payroll analytics and reporting to leadership
- Develop and mentor Payroll Specialist (if applicable)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
