Position Summary
The Corporate Payroll Manager, Union is responsible for leading and overseeing payroll operations across multiple business units and geographic regions, with a primary focus on complex union payroll administration. The position requires expertise in administering multiple collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), union dues, fringe benefits, certified payroll requirements, prevailing wage regulations, and complex wage calculations. The Corporate Payroll Manager, Union will drive payroll consistency and operational excellence by developing, implementing, and maintaining standardized payroll processes across diverse business units. This leader serves as a strategic partner to Finance, Accounting, Operations and Human Resources to ensure payroll compliance, process efficiency, and scalability in support of organizational growth.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Payroll Operations & Administration
- Manage end-to-end payroll processing for multiple business units across various states, ensuring compliance with federal, state, local, and collective bargaining agreement requirements.
- Administer complex multi-union payroll functions, including union dues deductions, fringe benefit calculations, pension contributions, health and welfare remittances, apprenticeship contributions, prevailing wage requirements and certified payroll reporting.
- Ensure compliance with multiple collective bargaining agreements and union-specific wage schedules, work rules, overtime requirements, and jurisdictional requirements.
- Review and approve payroll transactions including regular weekly payrolls, tax adjustments, bonus payments, off-cycle payrolls and ACH payments.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for complex payroll, tax, and union-related issues.
- Research, resolve, and document payroll discrepancies prior to final payroll approval.
Systems Management & Process Improvement
- Serve as subject matter expert in the processes and systems utilized for the purpose of completing union payroll, to include payroll processing, HRIS, field services and ERP systems.
- Develop and implement standardized payroll policies, procedures, workflows, and best practices across multiple business units.
- Create consistent payroll controls and operating procedures that drive compliance and efficiency while supporting organizational growth and acquisitions.
- Play a key role in payroll system implementations, integrations, upgrades, conversions, and automation initiatives.
- Identify opportunities to streamline payroll processes and improve reporting accuracy through system enhancements and process redesign.
- Develop and maintain payroll process documentation, workflow maps, training materials, and standard operating procedures.
Compliance & Audits
- Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, and union payroll regulations.
- Monitor changing payroll tax laws, labor regulations, prevailing wage requirements, and collective bargaining agreement provisions.
- Manage state payroll tax registrations, agency correspondence, audits, notices, and Power of Attorney filings.
- Oversee preparation and review of quarterly and annual tax filings, W-2 reporting, union reporting requirements, certified payroll reports and labor compliance documentation.
- Coordinate and manage internal and external payroll audits.
- Ensure payroll records are maintained accurately and in accordance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
Financial Reporting & Reconciliation
- Partner with Accounting and Finance to complete payroll reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, general ledger balancing, and month-end close activities.
- Reconcile payroll data between payroll systems and ERP platforms.
- Prepare and distribute payroll reports, labor analytics, compliance metrics, and management reporting.
- Support annual compliance testing and audit requirements.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop payroll team members across multiple business units and locations.
- Manage payroll department performance, workload allocation, training, and succession planning.
- Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer service.
Organizational Support
- Support mergers, acquisitions, organizational restructuring, and business expansions from a payroll perspective.
- Evaluate payroll impacts of new business opportunities and operational changes.
- Participate in cross-functional projects involving workforce management, compensation, benefits, and HRIS initiatives.
Education, Certifications, Licenses and Experience
Required
- Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive payroll experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role managing multi-state payroll operations.
- Minimum of 7 years administering complex union payrolls with multiple collective bargaining agreements.
- Demonstrated experience managing payroll across multiple states and business units.
- Extensive experience with payroll systems. Experience with the following systems preferred: ADP, Paylocity, Foundations, UKG Pro, QuickBooks and Microsoft Dynamics.
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including advanced formulas, pivot tables, data analysis, and reporting.
Preferred
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation.
- Experience with construction, utility, energy, infrastructure, field services/storm, or project-based workforce environments.
- Experience with certified payroll reporting and prevailing wage compliance.
- Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, and payroll system conversions.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Extensive knowledge of union payroll administration and collective bargaining agreements.
- Strong understanding of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations. This included, but is not limited to, the state laws of California, Colorado, Indiana and Florida.
- Working knowledge of prevailing wage requirements, certified payroll reporting, and labor compliance regulations.
- Expertise in multi-state payroll compliance and payroll taxation.
- Proven ability to create and implement standardized processes across diverse business units and operating environments.
- Strong analytical, auditing, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated experience handling highly confidential and sensitive information.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
- Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on process optimization, automation, and scalability.
Working Conditions
- Work is primarily performed remotely from a dedicated home office environment utilizing standard office equipment.
- Position requires extended periods of sitting and computer use.
- Ability to lift up to 10 pounds occasionally.
- Requires close visual acuity for reviewing payroll records, reports, and system data.
- May require occasional travel to support regional business unit operations and payroll initiatives.
Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned to support the operational needs of the organization. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.