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Michigan State University · 22 hours ago

Manager, Payroll Operations — Finance Manager

East Lansing, MI

Full-time

Hybrid

Mid, Senior Level

3+ years exp

Michigan State University is seeking a Manager of the Payroll Office to provide leadership and strategic oversight for their payroll function. The role involves managing payroll operations, ensuring compliance with regulations, and collaborating with various departments to enhance payroll processes.

EducationUniversities

Responsibilities

Serve as a key resource to University departments, external agencies, and partner organizations in interpreting payroll, wage/hour, tax, and University policies

Collaborate across functional areas—including HR, General Counsel, Finance, Employee Relations, and IT—to coordinate system integrations, ensure compliance, and resolve complex payroll and tax issues

Utilize strong analytical and interpersonal skills to assess problems, develop effective solutions, and enhance payroll processes

Participate in cross-functional projects, system upgrades, and special initiatives to improve operational efficiency and maintain alignment with institutional and regulatory requirements

Monitor and analyze governmental laws, rules, and regulations to ensure compliance and implement changes to departmental processes, policies, and procedures as required

Monitor and analyze university and professional regulations to ensure compliance and modify procedures, policies, and office operations as necessary

Oversee the operational and personnel functions of the Payroll Operations division

Hire, train, supervise, evaluate, and review the work of staff

Provide direction and support to managerial staff responsible for supervision of administrative support and high-level clerical staff

Work with members of management team to allocate resources where needed and based upon workflow

Prepare reports summarizing operational and personnel activities as directed

Plan and prepare payroll scheduling based upon established University payroll periods and pay dates

Oversee the scheduling of interfaces to the payroll system to/from various departments and vendors

Oversee the processing of payroll for each pay cycle

Handle payroll processing tasks from release through exit process according to payroll schedule

Manage the post payroll production output and distribution

Schedule and conduct the processing of the off-cycle payroll

Oversee the processing of all payments required or requested to occur between regular pay cycle processing schedules

Supervise the handling of all payroll processing tasks from payment creation through post payroll production output and distribution

Oversee the calculation and approval of employment taxes, the year-end reconciliation and analysis of year end activities (fiscal and calendar), and the tax reporting requirements and the handling of non-resident alien taxation assuring compliance with regulatory agencies including Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration and the US Citizenship and Immigration

Provide departmental oversight for the Payroll Office and manage expenses within the unit budget

Oversee and approve departmental expenditures, proposed expenses, and purchase orders to support operational needs

Develop, implement, and oversee accounting controls for the department, and develop, analyze, and recommend updates to policies and procedures to support effective unit operations

Qualification

CPACMACPP certificationSAP proficiencyMulti-state payroll processingHRIS familiarityAccounting principles knowledgeAnalytical skillsLeadership skillsInterpersonal skillsProblem-solving skills

Required

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Business, Accounting or a related field

Three to five years of progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in management, supervision and in the area of Finance

An equivalent combination of education and experience