Payroll Manager

GENERAL PURPOSE OF THIS JOB (Summary)

Reporting to the Project Director, the Payroll Manager owns the control and audit function for payroll across Subsurface Energy Resources, ensuring every employee is paid accurately, on time, and in full compliance with federal, state, and local wage-and-hour law. HR is responsible for entering payroll-related changes into payroll software (new hires, transfers, rate changes, tax and banking updates, and similar transactions).

• Review and approve payroll-related data entered by HR in payroll software (tax with holdings/exemptions, direct deposit and banking information, pay rate changes, job/title changes, and department or site transfers) prior to each payroll run being finalized, for Subsurface Energy Resources.
• Serve as the final control point for each payroll run: audit pay calculations, hours, and deductions for accuracy before submission, including salaried, hourly, and prevailing-wage/certified payroll populations where applicable.
• Maintain and troubleshoot the payroll software integration; ensure payroll journal entries post accurately to the general ledger and reconcile payroll-related GL accounts each pay period and at month-end.
• Audit garnishments, child support orders, tax levies, and other court-ordered deductions entered by HR for accuracy and legal compliance.
• Review and approve certified payroll reports for prevailing-wage or public-works engagements as required by contract or jurisdiction.
• Own the payroll calendar for both entities and confirm readiness of all HR-entered data ahead of off-cycle and bonus/incentive payroll runs.

• Review and release the Pre-Process Register (payroll preview) for each pay cycle, confirming hours, rates, and deductions are correct before payroll is committed.
• Run and clear payroll software audit reports each cycle (e.g., missing punch, negative deduction, retro pay, and exception reports) before submission.
• Approve and process off-cycle, manual, and void/reissue checks within payroll software.
• Configure and maintain payroll software user security roles, permission levels, and approval workflows for HR staff performing data entry, and periodically audit access logs as an internal control.
• Review and approve garnishment, child support, and tax levy order setups entered by HR in payroll software, confirming calculation rules and priority order are correct.
• Run and reconcile the payroll software export/mapping each pay period to confirm labor, tax, and deduction data posted correctly.
• Manage quarter-end and year-end tax filings generated through payroll software (941s, state unemployment filings, W-2/W-2c generation and corrections) and review for accuracy before submission.
• Set up and audit new state/local tax jurisdictions in payroll software whenever Subsurface Energy Resources, add employees in a new work location.
• Review the timekeeping-to-payroll software import each cycle to confirm hours and PTO/accrual balances loaded correctly prior to processing.
• Build and maintain custom audit and compliance reports using payroll software, including reports supporting certified payroll and prevailing-wage submissions.
• Review direct deposit and banking file changes for anomalies as a fraud-prevention control prior to bank transmission.
• Coordinate and test the impact of payroll software system updates/releases on payroll calculations before each release goes live in production.

• Maintain current, working knowledge of federal (FLSA, IRS) and multi-state wage-and-hour, tax withholding, and payroll-related employment law across all jurisdictions in which Subsurface Energy Resources operate.
• Ensure timely and accurate filing of payroll tax deposits, quarterly and annual tax returns, and year-end reporting (W-2, W-2c, and related forms).
• Lead or support internal and external payroll audits; resolve discrepancies through root-cause analysis rather than one-off correction.
• Partner with Legal and HR on wage-and-hour compliance questions, audits, and any government or third-party inquiries.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of all payroll and compensation information.

• Directly supervise payroll support staff (Payroll Clerk, Payroll Coordinator, and/or Payroll Specialist tiers) across Subsurface Energy Resources, including day-to-day work assignment and oversight.
• Provide training, coaching, and direction to payroll support staff; conduct…