Accounting Manager of Payroll

Position Summary

The Accounting Manager of Payroll leads payroll operations and owns the accuracy, completeness, and reconciliation of payroll-generated financial activity across assigned legal entities, pay cycles, and jurisdictions. This role ensures that payroll expenses, liabilities, deductions, employer contributions, accruals, clearing accounts, and related transactions are correctly calculated, coded, posted, supported, and resolved in a timely manner.

The Accounting Manager of Payroll is the primary Payroll Operations partner to Accounting and business unit Controllers for payroll accounting matters. The role owns payroll-side validation, reconciliation, investigation, and preparation or coordination of correcting entries, while Controllers and Accounting retain final general ledger close, financial statement, and accounting policy authority.

The position also leads and develops payroll personnel, establishes clear process ownership and controls, oversees accurate and timely payroll processing, and drives continuous improvement. It collaborates with the Payroll Tax Manager, who separately owns payroll tax compliance, filings, deposits, registrations, and tax-specific reconciliations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Payroll Accounting, Financial Integrity & Reconciliation

• Own payroll-side accuracy and completeness of payroll-generated expense and liability postings for assigned entities, including wages, employer taxes, benefits, deductions, employer contributions, and other payroll-related transactions.
• Review payroll-to-general-ledger interfaces, posting reports, journal entries, account distributions, company allocations, job costing, cost codes, and labor classifications; identify and resolve mapping or posting discrepancies.
• Own timely payroll-side reconciliations of payroll registers and payroll subledgers to general ledger postings, payroll clearing accounts, accrued payroll, benefit and deduction liabilities, garnishments, and other assigned payroll-related balance sheet accounts.
• Monitor aging reconciling items and outstanding payroll liabilities; investigate variances, document root causes, assign corrective actions, and confirm resolution or appropriate escalation.
• Prepare, validate, or coordinate payroll-related correcting entries and reclassifications with Accounting, subject to established approval authority and segregation of duties.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close by providing reconciliations, accrual support, explanations of fluctuations, and supporting schedules within agreed deadlines.
• Establish review standards, supporting documentation, sign-offs, and audit trails for payroll accounting activity; coordinate with Controllers on account ownership and close requirements.

Payroll Operations & Internal Controls

• Direct end-to-end payroll operations across assigned legal entities and pay cycles, ensuring accurate and timely payments, adjustments, deductions, and employer contributions.
• Assign processing responsibilities and maintain calendars, checklists, approvals, backup coverage, and appropriate segregation of duties.
• Oversee pre- and post-payroll validation, exception reporting, funding and disbursement controls, and resolution of complex payroll issues.
• Maintain accurate employee and payroll source data affecting expense allocation, liability recognition, work location, and tax calculations.

People Leadership & Accountability

• Lead, coach, and develop Payroll Administrators, Specialists, and other assigned operations staff; set measurable expectations for accuracy, timeliness, communication, and follow-through.
• Delegate execution and process ownership effectively; monitor outcomes through reporting, controls, and regular review rather than routinely performing staff work.
• Manage workload, performance feedback, cross-training, succession planning, and coverage of critical payroll and reconciliation activities.
• Promote a culture of accountability, constructive problem-solving, collaboration, and sustainable workloads.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting required.
• Demonstrated experience in payroll accounting, including payroll-to-GL postings, expense and liability accounts, clearing accounts, reconciliations, and correcting entries.
• Progressive payroll operations experience with demonstrated ownership of complex processes, controls, and deadlines; prior supervisory or people-management experience.
• Strong understanding of general ledger concepts, payroll accruals, expense allocation, account reconciliation, and financial close support.
• Advanced analytical and spreadsheet skills; ability to investigate variances, trace transactions, and implement lasting corrective actions.
• Strong communication, organizational, delegation, and coaching skills; ability to partner effectively with Controllers and cross-functional leaders.
• Working knowledge of payroll regulations and controls sufficient to recognize operational and compliance risks; discretion with confidential employee and financial information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in construction payroll, union payroll, collective bargaining agreements, certified payroll, and prevailing wage requirements.
• Experience with complex multi-state and local payroll processing.
• Experience with CMiC or similar enterprise payroll and accounting systems, payroll-to-GL integrations, HRIS interfaces, and system implementations or automation.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or relevant accounting credential.
• Experience overseeing payroll across multiple legal entities and business units.

This position is based in Sandy, Utah, and is fully in-office. Remote and hybrid work arrangements are not available.

Benefits: Layton Construction offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Health Savings Account, Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, Life & AD&D Insurance, Long-term Disability Insurance, Short-term Disability Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Home & Auto Insurance, Family Support, Pre-tax Paid Parking/Public Transportation, Paid time off, Time Away Benefits, Paid Holidays, Group Legal, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Identity Theft Protection, Group Legal, Pet Insurance, Employee Assistance Program.

Layton Construction is a privately held national general contractor, delivering predictable outcomes in commercial construction since 1953. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Layton operates from 16 strategic offices across the United States, employing more than 1,500 construction professionals who serve diverse markets including healthcare, education, commercial office, industrial, hospitality, and multi-unit residential.

Founded on the core values of honesty, unity, safety, and quality, Layton has built a reputation for excellence in complex project delivery while maintaining strong partnerships with clients, architects, and trade partners nationwide.

The STO Building Group family of companies-Structure Tone, Structure Tone Southwest, Pavarini Construction Co., Pavarini McGovern, LF Driscoll, Govan Brown, Ajax Building Company, BCCI Construction, Layton Construction, Abbott Construction, and RC Andersen-includes over 4,000 employees located in offices throughout the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland. We provide a complete range of construction services, from site selection analysis, design constructability review and aesthetic enhancements to interior fit-outs, new building construction, and building infrastructure upgrades and modernization. Learn more about how we partner with our clients to imagine, execute, and realize their vision at stobuildinggroup.com.

EEO Statement: Layton Construction is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.