Job description
The Payroll Manager is responsible for leading the end-to-end payroll function for both shoreside employees and union-represented vessel personnel across multiple entities. This role ensures accurate and timely payroll processing, administration of collective bargaining agreements, payroll tax compliance, retirement and benefit deductions, audit support, and adherence to federal, state, maritime, and union requirements. The Payroll Manager partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Crewing, and external service providers to maintain payroll accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence.
Job requirements
The following competencies are essential to perform this job successfully and therefore are requirements of the position:
- Time Management: Ability to coordinate several activities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, prioritize and plan work activities, use time efficiently, demonstrate organizational skills, and develop realistic action plans.
- Problem Solving: Considers multiple sides of an issue, weighing consequences before making a final decision. Makes informed decisions based on available information and recognizes issues to determine actions needed to advance the decision-making process.
- Communication: Prioritizes data sharing and works across departments to coordinate execution and achieve shared outcomes.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: Thrives in a team-oriented environment, builds positive working relationships across departments.
Job responsibilities
- Manage the end-to-end payroll function, establishing controls, workflows, service standards, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure accuracy, compliance, and operational efficiency.
- Accurately prepare the payroll for the assigned entities of Liberty Maritime, with the main responsibility focused on crew payrolls. Experience with allotments, Jones Act mariners, and U.S. maritime payroll regulations strongly preferred.
- Administer crew payroll in accordance with multiple collective bargaining agreements, ensuring accurate wage calculations, union remittances, fringe benefit contributions, and compliance with contractual obligations.
- Maintain confidentiality of payroll records, payroll operations, and other sensitive information.
- Ensure that third-party providers achieve all federal and state legislative and compliance standards.
- Manage multi-state payroll tax filing through third-party systems.
- Ensure payroll compliance with all company policies.
- Reconcile payroll-related benefit and retirement plan deductions, coordinate with plan administrators, and support annual audits, compliance testing, and reporting activities.
- Onboard new hires as needed.
- Manage and monitor external service providers and internal stakeholders to ensure accurate, effective performance and adherence to established service levels and compliance standards.
- Prepare and reconcile payroll-related journal entries, labor cost allocations, payroll accruals, and support schedules for monthly financial close activities.
- Schedule tasks and the flow of information to process and distribute payroll and other related tasks accurately.
- Manage timecards, time entry, and timekeeping software and systems.
- Research and complete all employment verifications and requests, including those required by state and governmental agencies (unemployment requests, audits, etc.).
- Perform reporting for compensation, ACA reporting, and ad hoc reporting requests.
- Serve as the primary payroll lead for internal, external, union, and governmental audits, ensuring timely and accurate responses to information requests.
- Oversee payroll system administration, integrations, testing, upgrades, and process automation initiatives to improve efficiency and reporting accuracy.