Senior Payroll Manager

Pomelo Care

3d•$145,000 - $165,000•Remote

About The Position

Pomelo Care is seeking its first internal Payroll Senior Manager as the company transitions from a PEO to bringing all payroll services in-house and implementing a new HRIS (Rippling). This is a hands-on, high-visibility role for an independent professional who can manage accurate, compliant, multi-entity payroll for over 500 employees. The role involves partnering with an outsourced payroll/implementation vendor during the transition and, long-term, building and leading an internal payroll team. This position is ideal for a detail-oriented payroll professional who enjoys both the operational aspects of running payroll and the strategic work of establishing a new function from the ground up. The role reports to the Controller and can be based anywhere in the continental US.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business (or equivalent experience); a CPP certification is highly preferred.
7 - 8+ years of progressive, hands-on, multi-state and multi-entity payroll experience at a similarly sized organization.
Admin-level expertise with modern HRIS platforms (Rippling is a significant plus), combined with direct experience leading system implementations and / or transitioning away from a PEO.
Direct experience with payroll tax compliance, filings, and remittances, and comfort serving as the organization's internal payroll compliance expert.
Experience implementing and maintaining strong internal controls and supporting audits.
Subject matter expertise in benefits administration as it relates to payroll (401(k), health/welfare deductions, leave payments, garnishments).
Previous people-management experience or a clear readiness to hire, mentor, and lead a direct report as we bring payroll fully in-house.
Strong Excel skills and a high comfort level working with complex payroll and general ledger data.
Patient, clear communication skills with the ability to explain payroll matters to employees with empathy and discretion, while building strong partnerships with internal stakeholders and external vendors.
Exceptional attention to detail, the ability to operate independently, navigate ambiguity, make sound judgment calls, and build processes from scratch.

Nice To Haves

CPP certification

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end payroll operations across two legal entities, processing four payroll cycles per month with a high degree of accuracy and independence across both salaried and hourly employees.
Serve as the primary Finance internal owner of the PEO-to-Rippling transition, partnering with the People team and outsourced payroll vendor throughout implementation and the first year of operation to ensure a smooth, compliant cutover including data migration, and employee communication / training.
Ensure timely and accurate payroll tax filings and payments (federal, state, and local) across all applicable jurisdictions and entities.
Oversee timely and accurate processing of benefits-related payments and deductions, including 401(k)/retirement contributions, health and welfare premiums, and other employee benefit withholdings.
Maintain payroll system configuration in Rippling, including pay groups, earnings/deduction codes, tax jurisdictions, and general ledger mapping.
Serve as the payroll administrator for Rippling, owning system configuration, security/role-based permissions, workflow and approval routing, integrations, and troubleshooting for payroll-related modules.
Establish and maintain a strong internal control environment over payroll, including segregation-of-duties, approval workflows, access controls, and documented procedures.
Partner with Accounting to ensure payroll data is reconciled, accurately coded, and reflected in financial reporting, journal entries, and month-end/quarter-end/year-end close.
Act as the go-to resource for employee pay-related inquiries, resolving issues with professionalism, discretion, and a strong customer-service mindset.
Collaborate cross-functionally with the People, Legal, and Accounting teams to support audits, respond to data requests, and continuously improve payroll processes and controls.
Stay current on federal, state, and local payroll tax and wage-and-hour regulations, proactively flagging compliance risks and driving remediation.
Build the foundation for a scalable, internally-run payroll function, including documentation of processes and controls.
Prepare for and ultimately hire, onboard, and manage a Payroll Coordinator/Specialist to support anticipated growth.

Benefits

Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision coverage for employees and their families
High deductible Health Plans with Health Savings Account (HSA) options
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Equity grant participation
401(k) program
Competitive vacation policy
16 weeks paid parental leave
Fully remote work flexibility (within the US)
Annual performance bonus
Equity