Payroll and HR Compliance Manager

About Us

We are an award-winning California-based environmental consulting firm with 550+ professionals and more than 30 years of diverse experience serving clients in transportation, energy, water, infrastructure, private development, and government sectors. Our mission is to deliver practical, science-based environmental and planning solutions that support communities, infrastructure, and natural systems.

As a people-centric organization, we value collaboration, fairness, and transparency, and are committed to fostering a workplace that supports both personal and professional growth while offering robust career opportunities. We are especially proud of our recent Great Place to Work® certification, which reflects an independent assessment of our culture and our team member experiences.

The Payroll & HR Compliance Manager is responsible for managing day-to-day payroll operations and ensuring ongoing compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations across a multi-state workforce. This role serves as the organization’s internal subject matter expert in wage and hour compliance, with a particular emphasis on California labor law requirements. While the organization partners with an external payroll vendor to support tax filings and regulatory reporting, this position is accountable for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of all payroll processes.

The Payroll & HR Compliance Manager must have a strong working knowledge of all required forms, filings, and reporting obligations, and must be capable of stepping in as a hands‑on payroll backup, independently running payroll when necessary. Reporting to the Director of HR Operations & Total Rewards, this role requires exceptional attention to detail, technical proficiency, and the ability to manage payroll operations with minimal oversight.

This role may offer a hybrid work setup, blending time in the office with remote work as business needs evolve. We enjoy coming together in person to collaborate, connect with teammates, and partner with clients, and may prioritize candidates who live within 50 miles of a Rincon office. Eligible office locations for this role include Carlsbad, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Oakland, Palm Springs, Riverside, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

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Please note:

While this role’s location is listed as Ventura, we encourage you to apply if you reside in or near any of the CA locations listed above.)

• Oversee the accurate and timely processing of multi-state payroll in partnership with the Senior Payroll Administrator and external payroll vendor.
• Serve as the primary backup resource capable of independently running payroll in the event of absence, emergency, or operational need.
• Ensure payroll inputs are accurate, including timekeeping, earnings, deductions, benefits, garnishments, and off‑cycle adjustments.
• Maintain strong internal controls, approvals, and documentation to support consistent payroll execution.

• Maintain a strong working understanding of all federal, state, and local payroll tax forms, filings, and reporting processes, including:
  • Form 941, Form 940, W-2/W-3 reporting
  • State unemployment insurance filings
  • California EDD reporting, SDI/PFL requirements
  • New hire reporting and garnishment compliance
• Partner with the payroll vendor to ensure filings are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Review, validate, and reconcile vendor-prepared reports to ensure organizational compliance and audit readiness.
• Serve as an informed internal point of accountability, ensuring the organization can respond confidently to agency inquiries even when reporting is vendor-supported.

• Serve as an internal expert on California wage and hour law, including:
  • Overtime and regular rate of pay calculations
  • Meal and rest break compliance and premium pay
  • Exempt vs. non-exempt classification support
  • Final pay rules and waiting time penalty exposure
  • Paystub compliance under Labor Code Section 226
• Monitor regulatory changes and…