Payroll Manager

Job Description

The Payroll Manager for DPR Construction and Family of Companies manages end-to-end payroll operations, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and timely delivery of employee compensation for multiple companies across the country. This role oversees payroll processes, controls, reporting, payroll tax compliance, system functionality, and service delivery while providing leadership, coaching, and development to the payroll team. The Payroll Manager partners with People Practices, Finance, Accounting, Technology, and other stakeholders to interpret payroll policies, resolve complex issues, support integration, and drive process and system improvements.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manage end-to-end payroll operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and on-time processing for multiple companies across the country.

• Accountable for the operational effectiveness, compliance, and performance of the payroll function, including oversight of all payroll processes, controls, and service delivery outcomes.

• Oversee payroll tax reporting, reconciliations, and filings in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

• Provide direct leadership and management for Team Leads and overall oversight of payroll roles and functions, ensuring alignment, performance, and consistent execution across the business.

• Lead, manage, develop, and evaluate payroll team members to promote accuracy, consistency, accountability, and professional growth.

• Direct resolution of complex payroll issues and oversight of corrective actions, ensuring root causes are identified, risks are mitigated, and sustainable process improvements are implemented.

• Collaborate with People Practices, Finance, Accounting, and Technology leaders on payroll policy interpretation, benefit deductions, system integrations, and best practices.

• Serve as payroll's primary point of contact for cross-functional issue resolution.

• Apply knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll/tax law and union rules, where applicable, to ensure compliance and accuracy.

• Monitor legislative changes affecting payroll operations and ensure procedures, controls, and systems are updated timely.

• Implement process improvements and technology enhancements to increase payroll efficiency, accuracy, consistency, and scalability.

• Oversee payroll audits, controls, and compliance initiatives to reduce risk and strengthen governance.

• Lead and provide oversight for payroll and shared services initiatives, representing payroll in cross-functional projects and driving outcomes aligned with business priorities.

• Ensure that the proprietary nature of payroll information is always protected by developing best practices and processes that promote confidentiality, consistency, and compliance.

• Lead performance management, coaching, and career development efforts across the payroll team, partnering with Team Leads to develop talent, address performance concerns, support role progression, and strengthen succession planning.

• Own payroll team analytics and reporting, translating data into staffing, prioritization, and resourcing recommendations.

• Accountable for the design and evolution of the payroll team structure, including staffing models, role alignment, training strategy, and long-term capability planning in support of business needs.

• Serve as the payroll function's primary owner for communications across the business and with external agencies, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and appropriate messaging related to payroll processes, changes, and compliance matters.

Additional Skills:

• Strong accounting aptitude and instincts.

• Advanced knowledge of payroll, union, federal/state statutes, payroll tax compliance, reporting, and reconciliations.

• Strong understanding of payroll systems, integrations, controls, audits, and system functionality.

• Ability to interpret payroll policies, benefit deductions, and compliance requirements and apply them consistently across the business.

• Computer skills: literate in MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

• Knowledge of CMiC or other construction accounting software helpful.

• Knowledge of construction industry payroll, job costing, and union rules helpful.

• Ability to train and mentor staff, fostering payroll knowledge, accountability, and team development.

• Strong analytical and reporting capability, with the ability to translate data into staffing, prioritization, and process recommendations.

Work Characteristics:

• Adaptable and flexible, while evolving with business needs.

• Demonstrates strong customer service skills, ensuring a positive employee experience.

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail, ensuring compliance and optimizing processes.

• Able to work in a deadline-driven environment, managing multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and timeliness.

• A strong, proactive, and strategic thinker who anticipates challenges, identifies opportunities for process improvement, and implements best practices to enhance overall payroll operations and efficiency.

• Leads with confidence, fostering a collaborative and high-performing payroll team by providing mentorship, clear direction, and professional growth opportunities.

Leadership Expectations:

• Strong change management skills, including the ability to guide teams and stakeholders through process, technology, structure, and policy changes with clear communication, training, adoption support, and issue resolution.

• Experience supporting payroll system enhancements, ERP implementations, integrations, testing, data validation, process documentation, and technology-driven process improvements.

• Make informed decisions on the team's behalf when needed, carefully weighing the effect on the team and downstream implications.

• Anticipate gaps in workflow and process changes, create contingency plans, and/or provide recommendations based on team impact.

• Actively contribute to and lead content in payroll team meetings, Regional Payroll meetings, and Team Lead touch bases.

• Participate in and support year-end payroll preparation and related processes.

• Hold team members accountable for performance, quality, and development through ongoing feedback, coaching, and corrective action when necessary.

• Model sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling sensitive payroll, employee, and organizational matters.

• Build strength and long-term capability within the payroll team through talent development, succession planning, and thoughtful role progression.

Work Experience:

• 10-12 years of progressive experience in payroll management or administration required, including team leadership responsibilities.

• Experience leading payroll operations in a high-volume, multi-state environment required.

• Experience with payroll tax, reporting, reconciliations, audits, controls, and compliance initiatives required.

• Experience in the construction industry, union payroll, job costing, and/or shared services environments preferred.

Travel Requirements:

• This role requires occasional travel to business units, regional offices, and/or project locations to support payroll operations, stakeholder engagement, training, process alignment, and business initiatives. Travel is estimated at approximately 10%.

Certification and Education Requirements:

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) required.

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field required.

DPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial markets. Founded in 1990, DPR is a great story of entrepreneurial success as a private, employee-owned company that has grown into a multi-billion-dollar family of companies with offices around the world.

Working at DPR, you'll have the chance to try new things, explore paths and shape your future. Here, we build opportunity together—by harnessing our talents, enabling curiosity and pursuing our collective ambition to make the best ideas happen. We are proud to be recognized as a great place to work by our talented teammates and leading news organizations like U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, Fast Company and Newsweek.

Explore our open opportunities at www.dpr.com/careers.