Senior Payroll Manager
Mission Bridge Partners • McLean, Virginia • Full Time • $130,000–$150,000 / year
Posted on Tue, Oct 6, 2026
We are seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Manager to lead and oversee payroll operations for a growing organization supporting the federal government contracting industry. This individual will own the end-to-end payroll function, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local requirements, DCAA regulations, and company policies.
The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on payroll expertise, experience operating in a multi-company/multi-FEIN environment, and strong knowledge of Deltek Costpoint. This role will also play an important part in supporting acquisitions, payroll provider migrations, audits, system enhancements, and continued improvement of payroll processes and controls.
This is a hybrid position requiring 1–2 days per week onsite in McLean, VA.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage end-to-end payroll processing, ensuring accurate and timely payroll for all employees.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll and tax regulations, Department of Labor requirements, and applicable employment laws.
- Ensure payroll processes and supporting documentation comply with DCAA requirements and company policies applicable to government contracting.
- Manage payroll operations across multiple companies and FEINs, ensuring proper reporting, taxation, controls, and reconciliation.
- Maintain accurate payroll records, including employee information, tax withholdings, deductions, direct deposits, and other payroll-related data.
- Manage payroll-related benefits deductions, contributions, and reconciliations.
- Process off-cycle payroll transactions, including terminations, resignations, corrections, bonuses, and final PTO payouts.
- Prepare and review payroll reports, reconciliations, tax filings, year-end statements, and other required documentation.
- Support internal, external, and DCAA audits by preparing payroll documentation, reconciliations, reports, and supporting records.
- Serve as the primary payroll point of contact for acquisitions, including employee transitions, payroll integration, and payroll provider migrations.
- Partner closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, and other internal stakeholders to maintain accurate employee data and ensure seamless payroll operations.
- Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee inquiries accurately and efficiently.
- Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, controls, automation, and overall operational efficiency.
- Support payroll system enhancements, integrations, implementations, and upgrades.
- Stay current on changes to payroll regulations, tax requirements, wage and hour laws, and industry best practices.
- Lead, mentor, and develop payroll team members while establishing strong processes, accountability, and service standards.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
- 5–7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including experience managing or leading payroll operations.
- Strong experience supporting payroll within a federal government contracting environment.
- Hands-on experience with Deltek Costpoint required.
- Experience with payroll platforms such as Paylocity or comparable systems.
- Demonstrated experience managing payroll across multiple legal entities and FEINs.
- Strong understanding of DCAA requirements and payroll controls applicable to government contractors.
- Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, taxation, wage and hour requirements, and Department of Labor requirements.
- Experience supporting payroll integrations, acquisitions, system migrations, or payroll provider transitions strongly preferred.
- Strong reconciliation, analytical, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
- Demonstrated ability to identify process improvements and strengthen payroll controls and automation.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across HR, Finance, Accounting, and senior leadership.
- Experience leading, mentoring, or developing payroll professionals.
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation preferred but not required.
Compensation
The estimated salary range for this position is $130,000 – $150,000 annually, based on market benchmarks within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. This range represents a good faith estimate and may vary depending on several factors, including the scope of the role, geographic location, education, certifications, technical skills, and overall relevant experience.
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What the data says about this job
- Advertised pay for Payroll Manager: a median of $104,450 across 964 priced postings. This posting advertises $130,000 to $150,000, 34% above that median. Explore the market
Measured from employers' own postings and public filings. How we measure