Assistant Payroll Manager

Job Title: Assistant Payroll Manager

Job Category: Finance and Accounting

Time Type: Full time

Minimum Clearance Required to Start: None

Employee Type: Regular

Percentage of Travel Required: Up to 10%

Type of Travel: Local

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The Opportunity:

As Assistant Payroll Manager, you will be the day-to-day operational leader of the Payroll team and the Payroll Manager’s partner and backup in running an accurate, compliant, and well-controlled multi-state payroll. Reporting to the Payroll Manager, you will own the daily off-cycle process through settlement, sign off on the daily payroll checklist, and serve as the escalation point for complex payroll, tax, and benefits issues. You will lead and develop a team of payroll specialists, keep all processes current with changing federal, state, and local tax requirements, and guide year-end W-2 reporting and corrections.

This role is built for a hands-on leader who knows payroll from gross to net and wants to shape how it is done next. You will learn every payroll process end to end, identify where work can be simplified, and lead the use of AI and automation tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Power Automate to reduce manual effort, strengthen controls, and free the team for higher-value work. If you enjoy solving complex problems, building strong teams, and modernizing payroll operations, this is an opportunity to make a visible and lasting impact.


Responsibilities:

• Lead the Payroll team to complete Semi-monthly payroll cycles, all periodic tax filings, and year-end W-2 reporting
• Serve a backup for the manager on projects for the department as well as projects across the organization with Benefits, HRIS, Tax, IT, and others as needed
• Oversee systems and ensure are withholding orders have been entered by the garnishment specialist.
• Ensure all manual checks are calculated, processed, and submitted daily before the deadline.
• Ensure all tickets and open items have been addressed and closed per company policy.
• Ensure that all information communicated to the customers by the payroll specialists, is complete and correct.
• Lead team to follow Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance rules and target a zero exception annual audit of Payroll processes.
• Oversee reconciliation of the Payroll liability accounts and cash accounts.
• Work with Corporate Accounting to research complex Journal entry issues.
• Ensure all Journal Entries have been loaded and posted.
• Assist the payroll team in all additional areas as directed
• Conduct internal audits periodically of various payroll areas and document recommendation for improvements and guidance of any changes.

Qualifications:

Required: 

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience in a large, complex, multi-state payroll environment, including experience supporting or leading payroll operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading, coaching, or providing day-to-day direction to payroll professionals in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. payroll taxation, wage and hour requirements, earnings and deductions, garnishments, gross-to-net calculations, payroll accounting, and year-end reporting.
• Experience with enterprise payroll and HCM systems, preferably Workday Payroll, including payroll processing, configuration impacts, integrations, reporting, and issue resolution.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and implementing payroll process improvements, including standardization, workflow redesign, elimination of manual processes, and development of scalable operating procedures.
• Experience using automation tools, advanced Excel functionality, reporting tools, or other technologies to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, controls, and employee service.
• Ability to analyze large or complex datasets, reconcile payroll results, identify root causes, and translate findings into corrective actions and sustainable process improvements.
• Experience operating within a strong internal-control environment, including SOX controls, documented management reviews, reconciliations, audit support, and segregation-of-duties requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, payroll deadlines, projects, escalations, and operational issues while maintaining accuracy and appropriate controls.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex payroll, tax, systems, and data issues to employees, business partners, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to partner cross-functionally with HR, Benefits, Tax, Accounting, Finance, Treasury, HRIS/IT, Legal, and other stakeholders

Desired:

• Advanced experience with Workday Payroll and Workday reporting, integrations, business processes, or related HCM functionality.
• Experience with Deltek Costpoint, Deltek Time, or comparable ERP and timekeeping systems, particularly within a government-contracting environment.
• Experience supporting payroll for a large federal contractor or other highly regulated organization.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including complex formulas, lookups, pivot tables, data validation, reconciliation tools, and large-data analysis.
• Experience with workflow and process-automation technologies such as Microsoft Power Automate, Power Apps, robotic process automation, scripting, or comparable automation platforms.
• Practical experience using artificial intelligence or generative AI tools to improve payroll operations, research, documentation, data analysis, process design, knowledge management, or employee support while maintaining appropriate data-security and governance standards.
• Experience evaluating opportunities for AI-enabled or automated workflows and translating business requirements into controlled, sustainable solutions.
• Experience participating in or leading payroll system implementations, integrations, acquisitions, conversions, testing, or other large-scale transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of international payroll operations and experience coordinating with global payroll providers or internal international payroll teams.
• Experience developing payroll metrics, dashboards, operational reporting, or other tools used to monitor payroll accuracy, service levels, controls, and team performance.
• Continuous-improvement mindset with demonstrated experience applying root-cause analysis, controls optimization, standardization, or similar process-improvement methodologies. 

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What You Can Expect:

 A culture of integrity.

At CACI, we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member, you’ll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customer’s missions and driven by a higher purpose – to ensure the safety of our nation.

An environment of trust.

CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. You’ll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.

A focus on continuous growth.

Together, we will advance our nation's most critical missions, build on our lengthy track record of business success, and find opportunities to break new ground — in your career and in our legacy.

Pay Range:

There are a host of factors that can influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications. Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and learning and development opportunities. Our broad and competitive mix of benefits options is designed to support and protect employees and their families. At CACI, you will receive comprehensive benefits such as; healthcare, wellness, financial, retirement, family support, continuing education, and time off benefits.

The proposed salary range for this position is:

$55,400 - $116,400