Payroll Manager

Company Description

Freedom Senior Services is a leading Medicaid-focused Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) platform, dedicated to maintaining independence for aging adults and individuals with disabilities. With over 20 locations across Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, Freedom Senior Services delivers high-quality care through personal home care, adult day healthcare centers, IDD services, and veterans services. The organization prioritizes cultural competency, caregiver retention, and compliance, serving a diverse client base, including a large population of ESL (English as a Second Language) clients. Their mission is to be the most trusted name in Medicaid-focused care by fostering strong partnerships with state Medicaid agencies and managed care organizations (MCOs).

Position Summary

The Payroll Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company's payroll function, serving as the primary liaison with Paychex, our third-party payroll processing partner. This role ensures accurate, compliant, and timely payroll delivery for all employees while managing the day-to-day relationship with Paychex and leveraging their platform to its fullest capability. The ideal candidate combines deep payroll expertise with strong analytical skills and a collaborative approach to cross-functional partnership.

Key Responsibilities

Paychex Vendor Management & System Administration

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the company and Paychex for all payroll processing, system configurations, and service escalations.

• Maintain and optimize Paychex system settings including pay codes, deduction codes, earning types, and benefit integrations.

• Coordinate with Paychex representatives to implement system updates, new features, and process improvements.

• Ensure all payroll data feeds and integrations between Paychex and internal HRIS, accounting, and time-tracking systems are accurate and functioning correctly.

Payroll Processing & Accuracy

• Review, audit, and approve all payroll data submitted to Paychex prior to each processing cycle, including regular, off-cycle, and bonus payrolls.

• Validate Paychex-generated payroll registers, tax reports, and funding summaries before final approval and disbursement.

• Manage payroll calendars and ensure all deadlines are consistently met for bi-weekly pay cycles.

• Process manual checks, stop payments, voids, and adjustments in coordination with Paychex as needed.

• Oversee new hire setup, termination processing, and employee data changes within the Paychex platform.

Compliance & Reporting

• Ensure payroll practices comply with all applicable federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, including FLSA, garnishments, and multi-state requirements.

• Partner with Paychex tax services to confirm accurate filing and remittance of payroll taxes; review quarterly (941) and annual (W-2, W-3) filings.

• Maintain payroll records in accordance with legal retention requirements and company policy.

• Respond to government inquiries, audits, and notices related to payroll in partnership with Paychex compliance resources.

• Monitor regulatory changes and proactively update Paychex configurations and internal procedures to maintain compliance.

Benefits & Deduction Administration

• Manage all employee benefit deductions within Paychex, including health insurance, 401(k), FSA/HSA, and voluntary benefits.

• Coordinate with the HR / Benefits team to ensure open enrollment changes are accurately reflected in Paychex each plan year.

• Reconcile 401(k) contribution data between Paychex and the plan administrator; submit funding files on schedule.

Finance & Accounting Collaboration

• Prepare and distribute payroll journal entries and GL coding reports to the Accounting team following each payroll cycle.

• Reconcile payroll-related balance sheet accounts and assist with month-end and year-end close activities.

• Provide labor cost data and headcount reporting to Finance for budgeting and forecasting purposes.

Team Leadership & Employee Support

• Supervise and develop payroll staff (if applicable), setting performance expectations and providing ongoing coaching.

• Serve as the internal subject-matter expert for all payroll-related employee inquiries regarding pay stubs, tax withholding, direct deposit, and garnishments.

• Train HR and Finance colleagues on payroll policies, procedures, and Paychex self-service capabilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field — or equivalent work experience.

• Minimum 4–6 years of hands-on payroll processing experience, with at least 2 years in a lead or management capacity.

• Demonstrated proficiency with Paychex (Paychex Flex preferred); ability to configure, troubleshoot, and report within the platform.

• Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and wage and hour laws.

• Experience managing multi-state payroll for 3000+ employees.

• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data validation).

Preferred

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) through the American Payroll Association (APA).

• Experience integrating Paychex with HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, BambooHR, ADP) or accounting systems (e.g., NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage).

• Familiarity with 401(k) plan administration and benefits reconciliation.

• Experience supporting payroll in a high-growth or private equity-backed environment.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Accuracy & Attention to Detail — ensures data integrity across every payroll cycle.

• Confidentiality & Discretion — handles sensitive employee compensation data with the highest level of professionalism.

• Vendor Relationship Management — builds effective working relationships with Paychex account teams and escalates issues proactively.

• Process Improvement Mindset — continuously identifies opportunities to streamline workflows and reduce manual effort.

• Communication — translates payroll complexities clearly for employees, HR partners, and Finance leadership.

• Accountability — takes ownership of deadlines and outcomes; operates with minimal supervision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This position is office-based. Occasional overtime may be required around payroll processing deadlines, year-end, and open enrollment. Minimal travel required.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience.

• Annual performance bonus eligibility.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401(k) with company match.

• Paid time off and company holidays.

• Professional development support, including APA membership and CPP exam reimbursement.