Payroll Manager

This is a Full Time Job

SUMMARY:

The Payroll Manager is responsible for leading and administering full-cycle payroll operations across multiple company codes and payroll frequencies ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for all employee populations. This role supports more than 2,000 full- and part-time employees and plays a critical role in maintaining strong internal controls, data integrity, and audit readiness across all payroll-related activities. Reporting to the Director/HR Systems, Analytics, & Payroll, the Payroll Manager partners closely with Human Resources and Finance to mitigate risk, prevent errors or unauthorized transactions, and ensure payroll data is accurately reflected in ADP and properly recorded in financial systems.

In addition to operational execution, the Payroll Manager assists the Director with continuous process improvement within ADP and across upstream and downstream payroll processes, including data entry, reporting, and GL postings, to enhance accuracy and efficiency. This role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong customer service skills, and the ability to operate effectively in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality and discretion. The Payroll Manager regularly interacts with employees at all levels and is committed to delivering a high-quality payroll experience that supports organizational compliance, operational excellence, and employee trust.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Administer and accurately process full-cycle payroll for all full-time and part-time employees on semi-monthly and biweekly payroll schedules across 8 company codes, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and compliance with applicable laws and internal deadlines.
• Process wage garnishments, interrogatories, levies, and other court-ordered deductions in accordance with applicable regulations, required timelines, and documentation standards.
• Manage payroll-related employee lifecycle transactions, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, and other ancillary payroll activities, ensuring accurate data entry and adherence to established deadlines.
• Oversee end-to-end payroll operations, including timekeeping administration, payroll uploads, audits, tax filings, payroll-related check requests, and manual payroll calculations when required.
• Support the Director with payroll processing for Players, Coaches, and travel staff, ensuring accurate and timely payroll execution for specialized employee populations.
• Work with Ticket Logistics team to document and process ticket taxation spreadsheet for identified sold-out games per IRS guidelines.
• Manage and post 16 monthly payroll-related journal entries for both semi-monthly and biweekly payrolls and 8 company codes, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely posting to the general ledger.
• Process intercompany payroll journal entries in accordance with established accounting practices and internal controls.
• Coordinate and confirm Indiana Pacers player payroll schedules with the NBA League Office for each semi-monthly payroll cycle to ensure compliance with league requirements and payroll deadlines.
• Coordinate and confirm Indiana Fever player payroll schedules with the WNBA League Office and Fever Basketball Operations for each payroll during the WNBA season, ensuring timely and accurate processing.
• Maintain the State Wage Allocation spreadsheet for Pacers, BOOM, and Fever travel staff, ensuring accuracy of data related to multi-state work locations, and submit information to the Director for timely payroll processing.
• Track NBA, D-League, and WNBA duty days for travel staff on an annual basis and prepare customized duty-day summaries for each travel staff member as part of their annual W-2 distribution.
• Prepare and submit wage allocation state filings for California, Oregon, New York, Louisiana, and any other applicable states, ensuring compliance with state-specific payroll and tax regulations.
• Manage and maintain taxable per diem calculations for travel staff and scouts, ensuring proper tax treatment and accurate reporting through payroll.
• Track and deduct player and coach fines as communicated by the NBA and WNBA league offices.
• Prepare and distribute annual W-2 packets for travel staff employees.
• Work with ADP and the appropriate agencies, state and federal, to resolve any tax filing discrepancies.
• Monitor changes in federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations; partner with the Director to update payroll policies, procedures, systems, and internal controls to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Ensure compliance with payroll record retention requirements and maintain accurate, auditable payroll documentation in accordance with legal and organizational standards.
• Partner with the Accounting department to resolve payroll reconciliations, general ledger discrepancies, and payroll-related financial inquiries, ensuring alignment between payroll and financial reporting.
• Manage the payroll general ledger interface and reporting processes, including mapping, testing, validation, and the timely delivery of accurate monthly and ad hoc payroll reports to Finance.
• Assist with annual financial audits, including those required by the NBA and WNBA league offices, related to payroll.
• Provide exceptional customer service to internal customers (employees) and external partners by responding to payroll-related inquiries and issues in a professional, timely, and confidential manner.
• Demonstrate and promote the company's "Elevate" culture through all interactions, consistently modeling professionalism, accountability, and service excellence.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive employee and organizational information.
• Maintain flexibility to work a varied schedule, including occasional evenings or weekends, to support payroll deadlines, events, or meetings as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support payroll operations and organizational objectives.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Additional requirements include:

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field
• 3-5 years of related experience required
• Proficient with payroll software; ADP experience preferred
• Full understanding of payroll functions including preparation, balancing, internal controls, and payroll taxes
• Payroll certification preferred
• Ability to build rapport with em