Manager, Payroll Administration

Petco Petco · Retail · SSC

Manager, Payroll Administration role at Petco, responsible for leading payroll operations, ensuring compliance, managing systems, and developing a team in a complex multi-state environment. Requires 5+ years of payroll experience and 2+ years of leadership, with strong knowledge of payroll, tax, and wage laws. Experience with Workday and reporting tools is essential.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead payroll cycles, off-cycle payments, adjustments, and year-end processing; oversee earnings, deductions, taxes, garnishments, PTO, bonuses, and supplemental pay; resolve escalated issues.
  2. Ensure compliance with wage/hour laws, tax regulations, reporting, SOX controls, audits, notices, and corrective actions.
  3. Own payroll system administration, enhancements, integrations, testing, automation, data accuracy, and support organizational changes.
  4. Lead, coach, and develop team members; establish standards and priorities; communicate effectively; lead through change.
  5. Deliver recurring and ad hoc reporting; identify trends, anomalies, and risks; support forecasting and decision-making.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
  • 5+ years of progressive payroll experience in a large, complex organization.
  • 2+ years of leadership or team management experience.
  • Deep knowledge of payroll operations, payroll tax, wage and hour laws, garnishments, and year-end processing.
  • Experience supporting multi-state payroll environments with exempt and non-exempt populations.
  • Strong systems aptitude with Workday.
  • Experience with payroll vendors and third-party service management.
  • Advanced Excel skills and proficiency with reporting tools.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and reconciliation skills.
  • Excellent communication, judgment, and customer service capabilities.

Nice to have

  • International payroll experience preferred.
  • CPP preferred.

What the JD emphasized

  • multi-state payroll environments
  • Workday