Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager

Location: Chicago

Industry: Financial Services

Experience: 7+ years

Position Overview

A leading financial services firm is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to oversee the accurate and timely processing of U.S. payroll across a multi-state employee population. This individual will take ownership of the payroll function while partnering closely with Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Benefits, and external providers.

The ideal candidate brings 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including significant experience managing New York and multi-state payroll, strong knowledge of payroll taxation and compliance, and hands-on expertise with ADP Workforce Now. This role requires someone who is highly analytical, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced financial services environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll processing for employees across multiple U.S. states, including a significant New York employee population.
• Own payroll administration within ADP Workforce Now, ensuring employee data, earnings, deductions, taxes, and other payroll inputs are accurate and properly maintained.
• Review and validate payroll calculations, including base salaries, bonuses, commissions, overtime, retroactive adjustments, supplemental payments, deductions, and other compensation.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations across all jurisdictions in which the firm operates.
• Manage payroll tax activities, including withholding, filings, reconciliations, notices, and year-end reporting.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of New York State and New York City payroll requirements, including applicable state and local taxation.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting on payroll reconciliations, journal entries, general ledger reporting, and month-end and year-end close activities.
• Lead payroll-related internal and external audits, including preparing documentation, responding to requests, reconciling discrepancies, and strengthening controls.
• Manage year-end payroll activities, including W-2 preparation, review, reconciliation, and corrections.
• Develop and maintain payroll controls, procedures, and documentation to ensure accuracy and appropriate segregation of duties.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, tax notices, employee inquiries, and system-related issues.
• Partner with HR and Benefits teams to ensure accurate processing of employee changes, benefits deductions, leave activity, new hires, terminations, and other employee lifecycle events.
• Use advanced Excel functionality to perform payroll reconciliations, audits, reporting, and large-scale data analysis.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, automate manual activities, and improve payroll controls and reporting.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert on payroll policies, systems, taxation, and compliance.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of payroll experience, ideally within financial services or another complex, highly regulated environment.
• Significant hands-on experience processing and managing multi-state U.S. payroll.
• Strong experience with New York payroll, including New York State and New York City requirements.
• ADP Workforce Now experience is required.
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local payroll taxes, wage and hour requirements, and payroll compliance.
• Demonstrated experience supporting payroll audits, tax filings, reconciliations, and year-end processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, data validation, reconciliation techniques, and manipulation of large datasets.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify discrepancies and investigate issues through resolution.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage payroll against strict processing deadlines.
• Strong communication skills and ability to partner effectively with HR, Finance, Accounting, Benefits, and employees.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business, or a related discipline preferred.
• CPP certification is a plus.