Payroll Tax Manager

Job Title: Payroll Tax Manager
Location: Greenville, SC 29615
Pay Rate: $54.00 - $55.00 per hour
Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Hybrid: Monday/Friday Remote, Tuesday–Thursday In-Office; Temp-to-Hire with Direct Hire option)

(Note: If the candidate requires a Direct Hire role from day one, please document this clearly in the submittal notes.)

Overview of the Job

The Payroll Tax Manager leads all payroll tax administration and compliance activities across the enterprise, including multi-state entities, local tax jurisdictions, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Reporting to the Global Payroll Director, this role oversees payroll tax funding, reconciliations, workers' compensation, escheatment, and W-2 filings while partnering closely with Managed Services providers and Corporate Accounting. The position ensures total compliance with SOX requirements, data privacy standards, and federal, state, and local tax regulations.

Job Specifications

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and enterprise leader for Payroll Tax, State Unemployment (SUI), Workers’ Compensation, and Escheatment processes.

• Oversee and execute all payroll tax administration across 25+ federal legal entities, 250+ state accounts, and 75+ local tax jurisdictions.

• Partner with Managed Services providers to ensure accurate and timely funding, reporting, and filing of all payroll taxes.

• Resolve payroll tax discrepancies, apply for tax refunds or credits, manage tax account applications, and rectify over/under-payment issues.

• Collaborate with Corporate Accounting to perform timely, accurate General Ledger (G/L) account reconciliations related to payroll tax.

• Review and audit quarterly/annual W-2 filings, verify high-compensation employee (HCE) wage types, and manage W-2 box mappings for new wage types.

• Manage payroll tax integration for newly acquired or merging business entities, including new state and local tax registrations.

• Complete internal and external SOX audit requirements, maintaining accurate supporting documentation and compliance controls.

• Generate standard, custom, and ad-hoc multi-jurisdictional payroll reports for business leaders while identifying process improvement opportunities.

• Monitor updates in federal, state, and local tax legislation and implement necessary system/process updates to ensure continuous compliance.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Multi-Jurisdictional Tax Mastery: Extensive expertise in managing enterprise payroll tax, SUI, local taxes, and multi-state compliance (20+ legal entities/states).

• Systems & Provider Management: Strong experience partnering with payroll Managed Services providers, running ad-hoc queries, and utilizing enterprise payroll systems.

• Accounting & GL Reconciliation: Deep understanding of General Ledger reconciliations, W-2 tax mapping, and corporate payroll accounting practices.

• Proficiency in audit compliance, SOX controls, data security, and confidentiality standards.

• Excellent analytical, data reporting, customer service, and stakeholder communication skills.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline preferred.

• Progressive experience leading payroll tax operations within complex corporate environments.