Charlotte Area Transit System · 3 hours ago
Payroll Supervisor
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$83K/yr - $104K/yr
7+ years expThe City of Charlotte is seeking a Payroll Supervisor with a passion for service excellence and leadership. This role oversees a team responsible for the weekly payroll of over 9,000 employees, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and collaboration across departments.
Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
Responsibilities
Lead and develop a high-performing payroll team; set goals, assign work, coach/mentor, and conduct performance reviews
Establish and maintain SOPs, controls checklists, calendars, and evidence repositories to ensure consistency, compliance, and audit readiness
Serve as the final escalation point for complex calculations, employee inquiries, and interdepartmental issues; build consensus among stakeholders
Own end-to-end weekly payroll processing for 9,000+ employees, including gross-to-net calculations, off-cycle payments, retroactive adjustments, shift differentials, premium pay, leave payouts, and final pay
Oversee and validate special pay transactions, garnishments, tax levies, and other payroll adjustments; ensure accurate prioritization and timely remittances
Supervise the processing of time and labor data, employee job data, and retro transactions related to compensation, time off, benefits, and terminations
Manage and approve on-demand checks, and coordinate retiree payouts and deferred compensation documentation
Coordinate benefits-related payroll deductions, ensure proper reconciliation to vendor invoices, and manage benefits billing for employees on leave of absence
Serve as subject matter expert for HRMS/Payroll systems (Workday Payroll), including interfaces to banks, ORBIT retirement, benefit integrations, timekeeping issues and financial questions
Review and analyze payroll audits, reports and interface files; ensure proper transmission, validation, and reconciliation of data across systems; partner with IT to resolve integration issues
Validate and adjust monthly ORBIT retirement files; manage submission of the monthly and quarterly files; perform manual adjustments for short-term disability and other statutory programs as needed
Own payroll data integrity and audit logs; reconcile data between HRMS, Finance/GL, and third-party systems; maintain robust documentation
Design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive payroll audit program (annual plan, quarterly reviews, monthly control checks) covering: Payroll-to-GL reconciliation; variance analysis against budget, prior periods, and trend KPIs. Tax audits and remittances (federal/state/local), including FUTA/SUTA, multi-jurisdiction nexus, 941 alignment, W-2/W-3 balancing, and W-2c corrections when needed. Garnishment/child support compliance (setup accuracy, priority, timeliness, returns). Timekeeping audits (missing punches, approvals, overtime/FLSA, standby/on-call pay, comp time, FMLA-related pay). Leave accruals & payouts (vacation/sick/PTO integrity, eligibility, cash-out rules). Benefits & deduction reconciliations (vendor files, eligibility/effective dates, arrears/catch-ups). Retirement reporting (ORBIT contributions, eligibility and compliance). Elections reviews (tax/payment elections, wage discrepancies, holiday eligibility, 401(k) participation and limits)
Maintain and test segregation of duties, role-based access, and approval workflows in HRMS/Payroll; perform periodic user access reviews
Oversee change management for payroll configurations (earnings codes, tax tables, deductions) and complete UAT for patches/upgrades; coordinate production validations
Draft and maintain policies, SOPs, control narratives, process maps, and risk/control matrices; ensure evidence retention meets audit standards
Coordinate and lead internal/external audits (City Internal Audit, external CPA firm, State agencies); drive remediation plans and timely closure of findings
Ensure compliance with Federal, State of North Carolina, and local regulations (e.g., FLSA, IRS, SSA, unemployment insurance statutes, NC payroll requirements)
Produce timely operational reports and management insights; prepare dashboards/KPIs for leadership (accuracy rate, on-time rate, exception volume, audit findings, correction cycle time)
Liaise with Finance to resolve outstanding payroll check issues; ensure accurate financial documentation including journal vouchers and accounts payable requests
Deliver high-level customer service to internal stakeholders; provide advanced support on time entry, payroll procedures, and system troubleshooting; communicate clearly via phone, email, and in-person interactions
Drive process improvements (Lean/continuous improvement), automation, and standardization to reduce errors and cycle time
Lead root cause analyses for defects; implement preventative controls and targeted training
Assess policies and pay practices for equity, compliance, clarity, and operational feasibility; propose updates and manage change with stakeholders
Qualification
Required
High school graduate or equivalent and seven (7) years of progressively responsible in-house payroll processing experience in a complex, high-volume environment
At least 3 years of supervisory experience leading payroll teams, including a Lead Payroll Specialist
Advanced understanding of payroll principles, practices, and procedures, including wage calculations, deductions, garnishments, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations
Considerable knowledge of FLSA, garnishments, W-2 forms and year-end processing; tax laws/regulations and tax reporting (e.g., 941, W-2/W-2c)
Knowledge of employee benefits and how they affect payroll (eligibility, arrears, retro, vendor reconciliation, LOA billing)
Extensive knowledge and ability to research Governmental payroll requirements, ORBIT retirement reporting, and interface file transmissions; familiarity with Employment Security reporting
Experience partnering with auditors; strong understanding of internal controls, segregation of duties, and evidence management
Expertise in HRMS/Payroll systems (Workday), including absence management, earning/deduction codes, integrations, and UAT
Advanced Microsoft 365 skills, particularly Excel (pivot tables, lookups, conditional logic); ability to create and manage reports, interface files, and financial documentation
Strong analytical, problem-solving, documentation, and communication skills; resourceful and proactive in troubleshooting payroll discrepancies and integration challenges
Ability to lead and mentor team members, foster collaboration, and coordinate with cross-functional departments
Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive employee and payroll information with the highest level of confidentiality and professionalism
Self-starter who works effectively as part of teams; ability to manage multiple, and sometimes competing, priorities in a fast-paced environment
Preferred
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, Information Systems, or related field
Experience with Workday
CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or FPC credential preferred
Public sector/government payroll experience and knowledge of ORBIT retirement reporting preferred
Benefits
The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.
Company
Charlotte Area Transit System
Charlotte Area Transit System
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Elizabeth Presutti
Deputy Director, Chief Administrative Officer
Jason (JL) Lawrence
Chief Planning Officer
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