Payroll Manager

GHJ Search and Staffing serves as the recruitment division of GHJ, a prominent national accounting and advisory firm. Our team provides qualified Accounting and Finance professionals on a temporary and permanent basis across a broad range of industries. GHJ’s relationship with our Global Advisory and Accounting Network provides the resources needed to better understand client’s needs, attract a higher caliber of candidates and assess candidate potential.

We are partnering with a growing organization in Los Angeles seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to oversee and manage payroll operations. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing, maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and supporting payroll-related initiatives across the organization.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented payroll professional with strong leadership skills, extensive knowledge of payroll regulations, and experience managing high-volume payroll operations. This individual will serve as a key resource for employees, management, and cross-functional teams on payroll matters.

• Manage and oversee the end-to-end payroll process for multi-state employee populations
• Ensure timely and accurate payroll processing in compliance with applicable laws and company policies
• Maintain payroll records and ensure the integrity of employee payroll data
• Review payroll reports, reconciliations, and audits to identify and resolve discrepancies
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations
• Manage payroll-related filings, tax payments, and year-end reporting activities, including W-2 preparation
• Partner with Human Resources, Accounting, and Finance to support employee onboarding, terminations, benefits deductions, and compensation changes
• Respond to employee inquiries regarding payroll, taxes, and earnings statements
• Develop, document, and improve payroll processes and internal controls
• Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, and process improvement initiatives
• Lead, mentor, and develop payroll team members as applicable
• Assist with internal and external audit requests related to payroll

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred
• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership responsibilities
• Experience managing multi-state payroll operations
• Strong knowledge of federal and state payroll laws, tax regulations, and wage and hour requirements
• Experience with payroll systems such as ADP, UKG, Workday, Paycom, Ceridian, or similar platforms
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation preferred but not required