Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager

The Payroll Manager is the day-to-day operational owner of the OpCo's payroll function. This role is responsible for building and running a compliant, accurate payroll operation — managing a team of specialists, serving as the primary interface between the OpCo and the Central COE, and ensuring that the function's control environment operates as designed. The Payroll Manager oversees the end-to-end payroll cycle for all employees across APi Inc.

with mixed pay frequencies, performs substantive payroll review prior to Controllership/Accounting sign-off, and serves as the escalation authority for payroll corrections, compliance questions, and employee pay inquiries. This role requires someone who has not only run payroll but built payroll processes, with direct experience in union payroll environments.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Payroll Operations

• Own the end-to-end payroll cycle for all employees across mixed pay frequencies, with the bulk processed on a weekly cycle.
• Perform substantive payroll review before each cycle — including exception reports, rate changes, headcount variances, and fringe adjustments — prior to Controllership/Accounting register sign-off.
• Serve as the sole approval authority for all off-cycle and correction runs; act as first decision point for any payroll correction request regardless of source; ensure all off-cycle activity is documented per established expectations.
• Review banking and direct deposit change reports prior to each payroll run as a compensating detective control. Oversee time data validation for completeness and coding accuracy following supervisor approval; resolve or escalate exceptions before the payroll run.
• Team Leadership.

• Manage and develop a team of direct reports:
  Payroll Specialist–Processing and Payroll Specialist–Union & Fringe.
• Serve as the escalation point for both specialists on operational issues, CBA interpretation questions, and compliance concerns.
• Build out process documentation and desk procedures for the payroll function as the function is developed and continues to evolve.
• Monitor payroll team performance and support the onboarding and development of payroll staff.
• Support payroll system implementation efforts, including testing, process documentation, and transition activities.

Controls & Compliance

• Serve as the operational accountability layer between Controllership's SOX control design and day-to-day execution — responsible for ensuring the team executes controls as designed.
• Approve all CBA rate changes before they flow into fringe calculations; maintain a two-person control on rate inputs and outputs.
• Provide input into periodic payroll system access reviews conducted by Controllership/Accounting; advise on appropriate access levels based on team role needs.
• Ensure all payroll records and processes comply with company policy, applicable federal, state, and local regulations, and CBA obligations.
• Lead or coordinate W-2 preparation, distribution, and W-2c corrections in alignment with COE tax filing requirements.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as the OpCo's primary liaison to the Central COE on tax filings, garnishments, ACA reporting, and payroll policy standards.
• Own pay inquiry intake, general pay inquiry resolution, and payroll policy questions.
• Collaborate with the People Team on new hire data packet SLAs, termination notification protocols, and the handoff line between employment actions and pay actions.
• Escalate to Controllership/Accounting on items with financial exposure, control implications, or unresolved compliance questions.
• Prepare or support compliance reporting for various payroll and project-related recipients, both internal and external.
• Organize and manage record retention of payroll data and reports.

• Demonstrated experience owning and building payroll processes — not solely executing…