Payroll Manager
Location: Eden Prairie, MN | 4 days onsite, remote Fridays
Compensation: $95,000–$115,000 base + bonus
SkyWater Search Partners is partnering with a well-established, growing organization in the commercial construction/services industry to hire a Payroll Manager. This is a highly visible opportunity for an experienced payroll leader to take ownership of a complex, multi-state payroll function during a significant period of transformation.
The organization supports approximately 750 employees across multiple locations and states, including both union and non-union populations. Payroll is currently being brought in-house, processes are being standardized across the organization, and the company is preparing for a transition to a new payroll platform.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys more than simply processing payroll. The Payroll Manager will have the ability to build processes, strengthen controls, influence branch-level payroll practices, and help shape the future state of the function.
What You’ll Do
- Own end-to-end, high-volume payroll operations across multiple states, entities, pay frequencies, and employee populations
- Manage weekly payroll for both union and non-union employees
- Lead and develop a payroll team member while partnering with payroll administrators across multiple branch locations
- Help lead payroll through a significant system transition, process standardization, and organizational change
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, wage and hour requirements, union agreements, and company policies
- Support prevailing wage administration, certified payroll reporting, union reporting, rate changes, and fringe requirements
- Champion SOX compliance, internal controls, documentation, and audit readiness
- Oversee payroll adjustments, off-cycle payrolls, final pay, PTO payouts, garnishments, child support, tax levies, and other deductions
- Manage payroll-related benefit reconciliations, including 401(k) and Employee Stock Purchase Plan activity
- Review payroll calculations, reconciliations, reporting, and data integrity
- Partner closely with HR, Finance, Benefits, IT, and operational leadership
- Identify opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen controls, and improve the overall payroll experience
What We’re Looking For
- 5+ years of progressive payroll experience with demonstrated leadership experience
- Strong union payroll experience required
- Significant experience managing complex, multi-state payroll
- Experience working with large hourly employee populations
- Construction, specialty contracting, field services, manufacturing, or another similarly complex environment strongly preferred
- Certified payroll and/or prevailing wage experience highly preferred
- Experience supporting payroll system implementations, integrations, process improvements, or organizational change
- Strong understanding of payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, garnishments, reconciliations, and compliance requirements
- Experience with SOX controls and internal/external audits preferred
- UKG and/or Oracle experience is a plus
- Advanced Excel and strong analytical/reconciliation skills
- Collaborative, adaptable, and comfortable working in a decentralized organization
- Strong communicator who can build relationships across corporate and branch-level teams
Why This Opportunity?
This is a chance to join an established organization at a pivotal point in its payroll evolution. Rather than inheriting a fully built function and maintaining the status quo, you’ll have the opportunity to help bring payroll in-house, modernize systems and processes, establish scalable practices, and create the future state of payroll operations.
The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, employee stock purchase opportunities, profit sharing, paid time off, parental leave, tuition reimbursement, professional development opportunities, and an annual bonus opportunity.
