Payroll Manager

AAA • Costa Mesa, CA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Payroll Manager directs day-to-day operations and executes end-to-end, multi-state payroll processing for a workforce of 17,000+ employees. This role functions as the business owner of the Workday Payroll system, driving operational cycle execution, data integrity, and strict regulatory compliance. Instead of hands-on system configuration, the manager collaborates with the HR Technology team as a functional expert to validate system behavior and advise on pay code logic.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of corporate payroll operations experience, with at least 3 years managing a multi-state workforce of 10,000+ employees.
• Strong experience utilizing Workday Payroll as an operator to run cycles, extract reports, and review processing results.
• Demonstrated success partnering with HR Technology or IT teams to test, refine, and sign off on system configuration logic.
• Comprehensive knowledge of multi-state tax regulations, wage-and-hour laws, and payroll accounting principles.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, complex formulas) and Workday Report Writer.
• Advanced ability to evaluate complex payroll data sets, spot anomalies, and resolve processing discrepancies under tight deadlines.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or an equivalent combination of work experience.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the end-to-end multi-state payroll processing cycle for 17,000+ exempt and non-exempt employees.
• Audit all payroll inputs, master data changes, and hours tracking files to ensure flawless calculation accuracy before finalizing cycles.
• Oversee the accurate execution of voluntary and involuntary deductions, including benefits, 401(k), tax levies, and multi-state garnishments.
• Conduct comprehensive pre- and post-payroll audits using system reports to analyze variances and validate final financial outputs.
• Serve as the primary functional owner of the Workday Payroll module, defining business requirements and testing outcomes for system changes.
• Partner with the HR Technology team to advise analysts on required pay code setups, earnings logic, and specific deduction configurations.
• Oversee multi-state, local, and federal tax filings, including W-2 balancing, payroll audits, and resolving tax agency notices across all applicable US jurisdictions.
• Ensure continuous adherence to federal, state, and local payroll regulations, tax nexus rules, and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines.
• Maintain rigorous internal controls, lead SOX compliance audits, and reconcile payroll registers against general ledger (GL) accounting strings.
• Manage and develop a team of operational payroll specialists to maintain service delivery metrics and handle escalated employee inquiries.

Benefits

• Health coverage for medical, dental, vision
• 401(K) saving plans with company match AND Pension
• Tuition assistance
• Floating holidays and PTO for community volunteer programs
• Paid parental leave
• Wellness programs
• Employee discounts (membership, insurance, travel, entertainment, services and more!)
• incentive program based upon the achievement of organization, team and personal performance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager