Payroll Accounting Project Manager

Position Summary

The Payroll Accounting Project Manager manages payroll accounting projects, financial analysis, systems support, compliance activities, and process improvement initiatives that support the Payroll Accounting function. This role partners closely with Payroll, Finance, HR, Benefits, Information Technology, Legal, and external service providers to ensure payroll-related processes, systems, and controls are accurate, compliant, efficient, and aligned with business objectives.

This position leads payroll accounting and payroll-related projects from planning through implementation, including requirements gathering, analysis, testing, documentation, monitoring, and post-deployment review. Key areas of focus include recurring accounting support, reporting and analytics, internal controls, system enhancements, acquisitions and integrations, automation, and cross-functional project leadership.

This position is located at our Corporate offices in a beautiful country setting 7 miles South of Reading, PA which is a convenient commute with ample free and easy parking.

Work Location - 2675 Morgantown Rd Reading, Pennsylvania Work Schedule - 4 days onsite/ 1 day remote

Major Responsibilities

Payroll Accounting & Financial Analysis

• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities, including payroll-related journal entries, accruals, reclasses, reconciliations, variance analyses, and supporting schedules.

• Analyze payroll accounting data to identify trends, discrepancies, root causes, and opportunities to improve accuracy, controls, and efficiency.

• Ensure payroll-related transactions are accurately recorded, reconciled, monitored, and reported within accounting and payroll systems.

• Develop and maintain reporting, analytics, measures, and metrics to support payroll accounting decision-making and process performance.

Project Management & Process Improvement

• Manage payroll accounting and payroll-related projects, including project plans, timelines, resource needs, risks, milestones, deliverables, documentation, implementation, and post-deployment review.

• Lead cross-functional initiatives involving Payroll, HR, Finance, IT, Benefits, Legal, and external vendors.

• Monitor project progress and communicate status, risks, recommendations, and outcomes to stakeholders and leadership.

• Identify and implement opportunities to streamline processes, automate manual activities, strengthen controls, and improve operational efficiency.

Payroll Systems & Controls

• Partner with Payroll Operations and IT to optimize payroll processes, system functionality, interfaces, and integrations.

• Coordinate testing, validation, deployment, implementation, upgrades, and acquisition-related integration activities for payroll system changes.

• Develop and maintain monitoring processes and controls to support payroll accounting accuracy and compliance.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure payroll accounting processes comply with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, accounting policies, and internal control requirements.

• Assess regulatory, financial, operational, and compliance risks; coordinate needed changes with affected business functions.

Stakeholder & Change Management

• Serve as a key liaison among Payroll, Accounting, Finance, HR, Benefits, IT, Legal, and external vendors.

• Create and maintain project documentation, process flows, standard operating procedures, and training materials.

• Support business users through adoption of new processes, controls, reporting, and system enhancements.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field required.

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in payroll accounting, accounting, finance, or a related function.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects, process improvement initiatives, or system implementations preferred.
• Experience with payroll, accounting, reporting, and enterprise systems preferred.

Certifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification a plus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required.
• Experience working with large datasets and applying analytical techniques

• Strong programming skills in SQL

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to perform root cause analysis and identify process improvement opportunities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate with operational, technical, and executive audiences.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and projects simultaneously.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.

- The associate will be required to: read; communicate verbally and/or in written form; remember and analyze certain information; and remember and understand certain instructions or guidelines.

- While performing the duties of this job, the associate may be required to stand, walk, and sit. The associate is frequently required to use hands to touch, handle, and feel, and to reach with hands and arms. The associate must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25lbs/12kg.

- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.