Payroll Manager

Payroll & Accounts Payable Manager

Position Type: Exempt (Salaried)
 Department: Finance & Accounting
 Reports To: Director of Finance / Assistant Director of Finance
 Location: Multi-Property

Position Summary

The Payroll & Accounts Payable Manager is responsible for processing payroll and overseeing accounts payable functions across multiple properties, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant processing of all employee compensation and vendor payments. This position plays a critical role in maintaining strong internal controls, improving operational efficiency, supporting month-end close activities, and providing meaningful labor reporting and analysis that assists management in controlling labor costs and improving productivity.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented leader with strong analytical skills, excellent organizational abilities, and a passion for process improvement. This individual supervises the Accounts Payable team while serving as the subject matter expert for payroll administration and disbursement processes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Manage, process, and oversee all aspects of the multi-property payroll process from beginning to end.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, timely, and in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.
• Review payroll registers, earnings, deductions, taxes, benefits, and adjustments for accuracy.
• Coordinate payroll processing with Human Resources, department managers, and third-party payroll providers.
• Process, administer, and maintain all payroll-related employee benefits, including Paid Time Off (PTO), holiday pay, 401(k), Roth 401(k), and other payroll-deducted benefit programs in accordance with company policies and plan requirements.
• Ensure employee benefit elections, payroll deductions, employer contributions, and payroll-related benefit changes are processed accurately and timely.
• Monitor, reconcile, and validate employee health insurance deductions against carrier invoices, ensuring accurate payroll deductions and benefit billing. Investigate and resolve discrepancies with Human Resources, insurance providers, and payroll vendors.
• Administer payroll for H-2B and J-1 employees, ensuring proper taxation, deductions, earnings, exemptions, and compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Maintain accurate payroll records related to employee leave balances, benefit deductions, retirement contributions, payroll tax elections, and supporting documentation in accordance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies promptly.
• Monitor payroll deadlines and ensure all required approvals are obtained.
• Prepare payroll-related reports for management as requested.

Labor Cost Monitoring & Productivity Analysis

• Monitor labor costs and payroll trends across all assigned properties.
• Prepare, review, and distribute overtime reports, productivity reports, labor utilization reports, and other payroll analytics to management.
• Analyze payroll and labor data to identify inefficiencies, scheduling concerns, excessive overtime, and opportunities to improve labor cost efficiency.
• Partner with Human Resources and department managers to identify and address labor-related issues while maintaining compliance with applicable labor laws.
• Develop and maintain standardized labor reports and metrics that provide management with meaningful operational insights.
• Assist Finance and Operations leadership with labor forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis.
• Recommend improvements to payroll, scheduling, and workforce management processes that enhance productivity and control labor costs.

Payroll Controls & Process Improvement

• Develop and maintain controls designed to identify and prevent Human Resources errors before payroll is processed.
• Create procedures and validation processes that ensure personnel actions, wage changes, benefits, timekeeping, and employment status changes are accurately reflected in payroll.
• Identify recurring issues and implement preventive solutions.
• Continuously evaluate payroll workflows and recommend improvements that increase efficiency, accuracy, and internal control.

Accounts Payable Leadership

• Supervise, train, mentor, and support the Accounts Payable team.
• Ensure invoices are processed accurately and vendors are paid timely.
• Review AP workflows and establish best practices that improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Assist staff with complex transactions and problem resolution.
• Promote cross-training within the department to ensure operational continuity.
• Monitor workload distribution and provide coaching to maximize team performance.
• Foster strong vendor relationships while maintaining appropriate internal controls.

Month-End Close

• Participate in month-end closing activities related to payroll and accounts payable.
• Prepare and review payroll-related journal entries.
• Reconcile payroll and benefit-related balance sheet accounts.
• Assist with AP accruals and related reconciliations.
• Support internal and external audit requests.

Compliance & Internal Controls

• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable labor, tax, accounting, and payroll regulations.
• Maintain confidentiality of payroll, employee, and financial information.
• Ensure payroll tax withholding, employee benefit deductions, retirement contributions, and payroll-related elections are administered accurately.
• Ensure proper payroll taxation and compliance for H-2B and J-1 employees, including applicable tax exemptions and reporting requirements.
• Monitor and reconcile payroll-related benefit deductions and liabilities, including health insurance, retirement plans, and other employee benefit programs.
• Support internal control initiatives and recommend enhancements where appropriate.
• Assist with payroll tax reporting and year-end payroll activities as needed.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve departmental procedures and company-wide processes.
• Embrace new technologies and recommend automation where beneficial.
• Participate in the implementation of new accounting, payroll, or AP systems.
• Contribute ideas that improve accuracy, efficiency, communication, and service across the organization.

Leadership Expectations

The Payroll & Accounts Payable Manager is expected to:

• Lead by example through professionalism, integrity, and accountability.
• Maintain a respectful, positive, and collaborative attitude toward employees, managers, vendors, and guests.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, continuous learning, and mutual support.
• Communicate effectively and professionally with individuals at all organizational levels.
• Act with urgency while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.
• Demonstrate sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential information.
• Adapt to changing business needs and priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive accounting experience.
• Minimum 3 years of payroll administration experience.
• Previous supervisory experience in Accounts Payable required.
• Multi-property hospitality experience strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of payroll laws, wage and hour regulations, payroll tax requirements, employee benefits administration, and payroll compliance for H-2B and J-1 employees. Strong understanding of accounting principles and month-end close procedures.
• Experience with ERP, payroll, labor management, and accounts payable systems.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership and coaching abilities.
• Ability to administer payroll-related employee benefits, including PTO, holiday pay, health insurance deductions, 401(k), and Roth 401(k) plans.
• Ability to analyze payroll data, labor reports, and productivity metrics to support operational decision-making.
• Knowledge of payroll taxation and compliance requirements for H-2B and J-1 employees.
• Ability to reconcile payroll deductions, health insurance invoices, retirement contributions, and related general ledger accounts with a high degree of accuracy.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to analyze payroll data, labor reports, and productivity metrics to support operational decision-making.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume environment.
• Ability to establish effective internal controls and standardized procedures.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise professional judgment.
• Results-oriented with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Adaptable to changing priorities, business needs, and technology.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit for extended periods while using a computer.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.
• Ability to travel between company properties as business needs require.

Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties as business needs require, while remaining in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The employee is expected to perform all other duties as assigned in support of the Finance Department and the organization's operational objectives.

These additions integrate naturally into your original revision while expanding the role to include labor analytics and productivity management, making it a stronger strategic finance position without changing its overall focus.