Sr. Manager, Payroll & Tax

Sr. Manager, Payroll & Tax About The Company Founded in 2023, Crete Professionals Alliance (Crete PA) delivers big four firepower to local American firms. Our rapid growth has made us a magnet for leading firms nationwide, eager to join our revolution in accounting. We empower small to mid-market firms with PE-backed capital, strategic technology partnerships, and innovative workforce solutions—including national recruiting and offshore support—while preserving a personal, local touch. With a presence in over half the US, 17 regional offices, 900 dedicated professionals, and offshore operations in Asia, we're the fastest-growing accounting firm in the nation and well on our way to the top 20. At Crete PA, our culture and relationships are the cornerstone of our success, and we’re always looking for talented, ambitious people to join our team. Do you have what it takes to keep up? Crete Professionals Alliance is a platform that partners with Accounting and Professional Services Firms and consolidates their back office functions, including payroll and benefits administration. This role will support the payroll functions and supporting benefits functions of firms that have already been integrated onto the platform, and will support Payroll Processors/Admins on the team. Position Overview: We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Senior Manager, Payroll to join our HR team. This position will be responsible for payroll processing for integrated entities on our platform. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in payroll administration, project management skills, and experience managing multiple pay groups. Key Responsibilities: Payroll Leadership & Ownership: - Own end-to-end multi-state payroll execution for assigned pay groups, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and on-time delivery. - Serve as the process owner for payroll: maintain SOPs, define controls, and drive standardization across integrated entities. - Partner with Finance to ensure payroll-to-GL alignment, support accruals, and deliver recurring payroll reporting and analytics. - Lead payroll month-end/quarter-end/year-end activities, including reconciliations and audit support. - Oversee payroll data integrity across HRIS/payroll systems (e.g., UKG), including audits and troubleshooting. People Management & Team Development: - Manage, coach, and develop more junior Payroll Manager as well as Payroll Processors/Admins; set clear expectations, review work quality, and ensure cross-coverage. - Build scalable workflows and training to support growth, acquisitions, and changing pay group complexity. Compliance, Tax, and Benefits Collaboration: - Monitor changes in federal, state, and local payroll regulations and ensure timely implementation and communication. - Triage and resolve escalated employee inquiries related to pay, taxation, deductions, and benefits. - Coordinate with Benefits/Total Rewards and external partners to ensure accurate deductions, 401(k) changes/funding, and benefit reconciliations. Integration & Continuous Improvement: - Coordinate with cross-functional teams (HR, IT, Finance, and acquired-firm stakeholders) to onboard new entities and implement new processes/systems. - Lead system audits and data migration activities to ensure accuracy and completeness. - Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives to reduce errors, improve cycle time, and strengthen controls. Qualifications: - Minimum of 7+ years of experience in multi-state payroll processing, with increasing responsibility. - 2+ years experience leading or managing a team (directly or as a lead) and owning a payroll process end-to-end. - Strong knowledge of payroll systems, benefits administration, and compliance requirements. UKG experience highly preferred. - Proven experience preparing, reconciling, and filing monthly, quarterly, and annual federal, state, and local payroll tax returns (Forms 941, 940, state withholding, state unemployment, ... (truncated, view full listing at source)