Senior Payroll Manager

Senior Payroll Manager TOTE Resources, LLCLocation: Tacoma, WA or Jacksonville, FLDepartment: PayrollJob Type: Full-Time, ExemptReports To: VP, Finance

Job Summary The Senior Payroll Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for payroll administration across all TOTE companies and serves as the enterprise payroll leader for the organization. This position establishes payroll governance, operating standards, technology strategy, and internal controls to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, regulatory compliance, operational scalability, and a consistent employee experience. The Senior Payroll Manager partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, IT, operating company leadership, and third-party providers to address complex payroll matters, support organizational initiatives, and drive continuous improvement. The successful candidate will bring deep payroll expertise, sound judgment, strong business and financial acumen, and demonstrated success leading complex payroll operations, managing risk, and developing high-performing teams.

Essential Job Responsibilities and Results

• Provide leadership and oversight of bi-weekly payroll processing across multiple TOTE subsidiaries, ensuring payrolls are accurate, timely, compliant, and appropriately controlled.
• Establish and maintain enterprise payroll governance, policies, controls, performance metrics, and business continuity practices. Evaluate payroll compliance, operational performance, and risk exposure and provide recommendations to senior leadership regarding appropriate controls and improvement opportunities.
• Establish and execute the strategic roadmap for payroll systems, service delivery, automation, integrations, vendor relationships, and technology optimization to improve operational effectiveness, scalability, compliance, and employee experience across all TOTE companies.
• Provide oversight and subject matter expertise for complex payroll populations ensuring accurate administration of specialized pay practices and compliance with applicable federal regulations, government contract requirements, collective bargaining agreements, and company policies.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting leadership to ensure accurate payroll accounting, reporting, general ledger integration, accruals, reconciliations, analysis, and issue resolution while providing insights and recommendations that support business decisions.
• Serve as the senior subject matter expert and escalation point for complex payroll matters, including taxation, wage and hour requirements, deductions, garnishments, benefits, union payroll provisions, and multi-jurisdictional payroll requirements.
• Monitor changes in federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting payroll and lead the implementation of required changes to policies, procedures, systems, and controls.
• Oversee federal, state, and local payroll tax reporting and filings, including year-end payroll processes and the accurate and timely preparation and distribution of Forms W-2 and other required reporting.
• Lead, develop, and support payroll professionals, establishing clear expectations, appropriate cross-training, succession planning, and adequate coverage to ensure continuity of payroll operations.
• Partner with Human Resources leadership across TOTE operating companies to maintain effective payroll and HR processes, clarify ownership and responsibilities, and resolve complex employee or organizational payroll matters.
• Provide payroll expertise and leadership for organizational initiatives, including acquisitions, reorganizations, system implementations, benefit changes, compensation programs, and other projects affecting employee pay.
• Maintain effective relationships with payroll vendors and other external partners and hold providers accountable for service levels, accuracy, compliance, and issue resolution.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction to the payroll team, including selection, development, coaching, performance management, and succession planning. Establishes departmental priorities and ensures team members have the knowledge, resources, cross-training, and support necessary to achieve company objectives and maintain continuity of payroll operations.
• Builds payroll capability beyond transactional processing by developing subject matter expertise, strengthening controls, and fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Ensures the Payroll function is recognized as a trusted and proactive partner to Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, and TOTE operating company leadership.

Qualifications

Education, Experience, Certifications:

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or a related discipline from an accredited college or university required.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible payroll experience, including significant experience with multi-state payroll, payroll taxation, compliance, and payroll accounting.
• Minimum of 5 years of payroll leadership or people management experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex payroll operations supporting multiple business units, legal entities, or geographic locations.
• Experience administering payroll in an environment with multiple pay practices, including hourly and salaried employees, incentive compensation, and union or collectively bargained populations strongly preferred.
• Experience with payroll/HRIS systems, system implementations, integrations, testing, and process automation required.
• Demonstrated experience leading payroll technology implementations, payroll transformations, operational improvement initiatives, and cross-functional change management efforts.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of payroll administration, federal and multi-state taxation, wage and hour requirements, payroll accounting, payroll controls, and year-end reporting.
• Strong financial acumen with demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Finance and Accounting functions.
• Knowledge of payroll implications associated with employee benefits, union benefits and collectively bargained agreements, ERISA-related programs, and federal, state, and local tax requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate complex payroll issues, assess risk, determine appropriate solutions, and communicate recommendations to leadership.
• Strong understanding of internal controls, audit requirements, payroll reconciliations, and data integrity practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead process improvement, automation, system enhancement, and organizational change initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret payroll and financial data, identify trends or discrepancies, and take appropriate action.
• Ability to communicate complex payroll and compliance matters clearly to employees, managers, HR professionals, Finance partners, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, coach, and lead payroll professionals while creating appropriate accountability and operational coverage.
• Ability to establish priorities and manage multiple complex initiatives in a deadline-driven environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build effective relationships across multiple business units and functional areas.
• High degree of discretion and judgment when handling confidential employee, payroll, and financial information.
• Ability to adapt to changing business requirements, regulatory environments, organizational structures, and technology.
• Ability to travel periodically to other company locations.

Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or listen. The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to operate computer controls, calculators, and telephones. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms, and perform duties at a marine terminal or aboard a commercial vessel. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision to review reports and the ability to adjust focus to computer terminal.

Compensation & Benefits Salary Range $81,988 - $155,530

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), 401(k) with Company Match. Tuition Reimbursement, Paid Time Off (PTO) Paid Holidays, Supplemental Parental Leave, Annual Bonus Eligibility.

Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Equal Opportunity Employer TOTE Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Affirmative Action Employer, and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. TOTE Resources is a drug-free workplace and participates in the E-Verify Employment Verification Program.