Payroll Supervisor​/Manager​/Director

Payroll Leader

We are looking for an experienced payroll leader to guide enterprise payroll operations and strengthen the processes that support a growing organization in Pasadena, California. This role will oversee end-to-end payroll administration, ensure compliance with wage and tax regulations, and build scalable practices that improve accuracy, efficiency, and financial alignment. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in certified payroll, prevailing wage requirements, and multi-state payroll environments, along with the leadership skills to partner effectively across finance, human resources, legal, and technology teams.

Responsibilities:

• Set the direction for the payroll function by defining priorities, performance goals, and operating plans that support broader business objectives.
• Oversee complete payroll processing for a large employee population, ensuring employees are paid correctly and on schedule while meeting applicable legal and contractual obligations.
• Lead payroll-related projects, including process redesign, system enhancements, and automation efforts in partnership with HR, IT, Legal, and Finance.
• Act as the organization's primary authority on payroll operations, certified payroll reporting, prevailing wage rules, and labor compliance matters.
• Maintain payroll policies, procedural documentation, and governance standards so they remain current with regulatory changes and internal expectations.
• Direct payroll tax activities such as reconciliations, return filings, year-end reporting, W-2 distribution, and the accurate remittance of deductions and benefits.
• Manage wage garnishments, tax withholding requirements, and payroll interfaces involving state agencies and other external entities.
• Establish and monitor internal controls that protect confidential employee data, support accurate reconciliations, and reduce operational risk.
• Track service levels, error trends, and other key metrics to identify improvement opportunities and maintain a high standard of payroll performance.
• Work closely with finance and legal partners to investigate discrepancies, resolve reconciling items, and ensure payroll-related accounting records remain accurate.