Payroll Manager

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position:        Payroll Manager

Department:   Office of Human Resources

Reports To:     Vice Chancellor/Executive Director of Human Resources

Classification: Exempt

General Description

The Payroll Manager is responsible for managing the organization’s payroll operations and ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant processing of payroll in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations. The Payroll Manager oversees payroll staff, maintains payroll system integrity (including time and attendance integration), ensures proper payroll tax compliance and reporting, and maintains strong internal controls. The position coordinates with the Office of Finance to support accurate general ledger recording and to maintain appropriate segregation of duties, including independent reconciliation of payroll funding accounts by the Office of Finance.

Specific Duties/Responsibilities

The following specific responsibilities are representative of the duties required in this position. They may be unilaterally but reasonably changed based on the working environment and departmental needs.

• Manage full-cycle payroll processing for all payroll cycles (bi-weekly for GFO Chancery and weekly for GF2 Cemeteries Union).
• Review and validate personnel, compensation changes and payroll data changes prior to payroll transmission to ensure accuracy and proper authorization.
• Approve payroll for transmission following completion of internal review procedures.
• Ensure payroll processing accurately reflects and applies organizational policies and established classifications in compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, payroll tax regulations, benefit deduction requirements, and collective bargaining agreement, including oversight of related system configuration and calculations.
• Oversee the accurate calculation, timely deposit, and proper reporting of all federal, state, and local payroll taxes, including review and validation of quarterly and annual filings. 
• Perform quarterly and annual reconciliation of taxable wages and year-end reporting; investigate and respond to tax notices or agency inquiries as needed.
• Coordinate with the Office of Finance prior to implementing new earning or deduction codes to ensure proper general ledger mapping and financial reporting alignment.
• Maintain payroll general ledger mapping structures within ADP and review payroll labor distribution downloads to support accurate general ledger recording.
• Oversee integration and accuracy of Time and Attendance systems to ensure proper payroll processing and coordinate system testing, parallel implementation and updates as necessary. 
• Implement and maintain documented payroll procedures and internal control processes, ensuring proper segregation of duties within payroll preparation, review, and transmission processes.
• When additional Human Resources staff assist in payroll functions, ensure roles are clearly defined and segregation of duties is maintained.
• Maintain approved payroll control sheets and supporting documentation for each payroll cycle.
• Monitor and research outstanding payroll checks, voids and returned direct deposits and off-cycle payments, ensuring proper system recording and coordination with the Office of Finance for resolution.
• Serve as primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries and resolve issues with professionalism, patience, and discretion.
• Supervise payroll staff, assign workload appropriately, ensure cross-training, and serve as operational back-up during staff absences.
• Support internal and external audit requests related to payroll operations.
• Supervise the preparation and maintain the controls for the Chancery and Cemeteries Union.
• Serves as administrator of the ADP system. Responsible for setting up earning codes, deduction codes, and maintains the GL rules set-up in ADP in coordination with the Controller for compatibility with the Serenic General Ledger system.
• Responsible for the W-2's for the Archdiocesan Center and Cemeteries Union payrolls.
• Works with ADP to make any required amendments to the IRS or State of NJ.
• Reviews and verifies changes made by Human Resources for salary, new hires, terminations, and personal information. Reviews input of tax changes, direct deposit, distribution, or voluntary deductions for the Archdiocese of Newark and Cemeteries Union payroll. 
• Reviews data entry of employee's time sheets for hourly payments, commissions, stipends, and retro and salary adjustments.
• Reviews the ADP payroll preview to ensure that all payroll changes received and processed by the Senior Payroll Associate are accurately reflected in the applicable pay period.
• Processes out of sequence checks and voids and ensure posting to the next payroll processed.
• Maintains the control files for child support and garnishments and responds to inquiries by the employees, Offices of NJ Family Support, and various counties.
• Responds to Human Resources, Archdiocesan Offices, and employee's payroll issues.
• Works with the Controller in various projects such as ADP online access for direct deposit remittance advice, W-2's and in developing an accounting policies and procedures manual for AP and Payroll functions.
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Human Resources.

Qualifications/Skills

• Excellent organizational and analytical skills.
• Strong attention to detail and internal control awareness.
• Ability to prioritize, schedule, and complete multiple assignments.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Experience using Adobe Acrobat and SharePoint.
• Ability to maintain confidential information.

Education and/or Experience (Preferred)

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive payroll experience
• Supervisory experience required
• Strong working knowledge of ADP Workforce Now including Time and Attendance.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax regulations and wage and hour compliance.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation preferred.

Physical Demands

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to work at a desk for extended periods. Travel to various campus locations may be required.

Rev. 06/2026