Payroll Manager
At a glance
Manager-level Payroll role at Clark. McLean · full-time · $65,000–$170,000 base.
hrroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Run payroll across multiple states for salaried staff on a biweekly cycle and craft workers paid weekly
- Lead two payroll supervisors and keep the team accountable for accurate, timely processing
- Apply labor rules, tax requirements, union agreements and prevailing-wage rules to payroll decisions
- Work with the Payroll Director to improve workflows, reduce manual entry and strengthen payroll data
- Oversee payroll tax filings, year-end W-2 work and internal audits, coordinating with HR, IT and Legal
What you bring
- At least seven years in payroll, including three or more years leading people
- A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business or another listed field
- Deep knowledge of hourly craft payroll and experience handling weekly and biweekly schedules across complex tax jurisdictions
- Advanced skill with enterprise HCM or payroll systems and sophisticated Excel modeling
Who this fits
This manager role suits you if you can balance detailed payroll work with oversight of two direct reports. You’ll work in McLean, Virginia, and handle both corporate and high-volume craft payroll.
From the employer
Location: McLean, VA
Reports To: Payroll Director
Direct Reports: 2 Payroll Supervisors
Position Overview
Clark Construction is seeking a high-caliber Payroll Manager to lead our complex, multi-state payroll operations. This role is pivotal in ensuring the accurate and timely compensation of our most valuable asset: our people. You will oversee two distinct payroll streams—a bi-weekly salaried cycle and a high-volume, weekly craft worker cycle.
As a key leader within the Finance/HR pillar, you will manage two direct reports (Payroll Supervisors) and drive process improvements that uphold our reputation for operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Oversight: Direct the end-to-end processing of multi-state payroll for 5,000+ employees, balancing the nuances of bi-weekly corporate cycles and weekly craft/hourly cycles.
- Leadership & Mentorship: Provide direct leadership to two Payroll Managers, fostering a culture of professional growth, accountability, and technical precision.
- Compliance & Labor Relations: Ensure strict adherence to federal and state labor laws, tax regulations, and—crucially—union collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and prevailing wage requirements (Davis-Bacon Act).
- Process Optimization: Partner with the Payroll Director to identify and implement "best-in-class" systems and workflows to reduce manual entry and enhance data integrity.
- Reporting & Analytics: Serve as the subject matter expert for payroll tax filings, year-end processing (W-2s), and internal audits.
- Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate with HR, IT, and Legal to ensure seamless integration between timekeeping systems and payroll platforms.
Required Qualifications
- Experience: 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership or people-management capacity.
- Industry Knowledge: Previous experience in Construction, Engineering, or Manufacturing is highly preferred. Must have a deep understanding of hourly craft worker payroll.
- Complexity Management: Proven ability to manage diverse payroll schedules (weekly vs. bi-weekly) and complex tax jurisdictions.
- Technical Proficiency: Advanced expertise in enterprise-level HCM/Payroll systems (e.g., Workday, SAP, Oracle) and sophisticated Excel modeling.
- Education/Certification: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business. CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation is a significant plus.
The Ideal Candidate
"You are someone who thrives in the details but never loses sight of the big picture. You understand that for a craft worker, a weekly paycheck is a matter of trust and livelihood. You are a steady hand for your team and a strategic partner to the Director."
Clark offers a total compensation package that includes base salary, bonus potential, and a comprehensive benefits package including health/dental/vision benefits, paid time off, retirement/401k, and Company Contribution plan. Additional benefits include life insurance, commuter benefit, short & long term disability, fitness reimbursement, FSA, tuition reimbursement, back-up daycare, tutoring & family support benefits, EAP/Work-Life assistance, and a holiday contribution program. For this role the base salary range is $65,000 - $170,000. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. Base pay is one part of the Total Compensation Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work.