Payroll Manager/Lead

Category:

Human Resources & Recruitment

Employment Type:

Contract

Reference:

BH-384599

Payroll Manager/Lead
needed for a contract opportunity with Yoh's Entertainment client located in Culver City, CA.

Job Details

Duration: 6-9 Months (Potential temp to hire)
Location: Culver City, CA 90232
Schedule: Hybrid onsite 3 days per week (W, TH, FRI)
Pay Rate:$75-97 per (Depending on experience)
Start Date: As soon as possible
Reports to:
Vice President, Payroll

Position Overview

• Seeking an experienced and strategic Payroll Manager / Payroll Lead with deep expertise in U.S. and Canadian payroll to lead and elevate our payroll operations.
• The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of end-to-end payroll processing, tax compliance, internal controls, and the downstream impact of payroll on finance and employee experience.
• This role is critical to ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll cycles, and will also focus on driving process improvements, building operational excellence, and coaching and developing the payroll team.

• (Not a payroll processing role, managing the team)
• Training and coaching the team, upscaling the team
• UKG experience required with Workday (Nice to have experience)
• US and Canada required with some understanding of payroll taxes
• High volume, union workers ideal, consulting background ideal
• Pending FLSA classification

• Lead and execute end-to-end payroll processing for U.S. and Canadian employees ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal, state/provincial, and local regulations.
• Manage payroll inputs, adjustments, deductions, garnishments, and off-cycle payments.
• Own the payroll calendar and ensure alignment with internal deadlines and external reporting requirements.
• Coordination of resources to support testing and special projects for payroll related projects.

• Ensure accurate tax reporting and compliance, including federal and state/local payroll tax filings, W-2s, and year-end processes.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to manage audits, resolve discrepancies, and maintain strong internal payroll controls.
• Ability to explain to team members and stakeholders the downstream tax impact of payroll activity and payroll processing decisions.

• Identify and implement process improvements to streamline payroll operations, increase efficiency, and reduce manual effort.
• Evaluate payroll system functionality and partner with P&O, Finance, and IT teams for system upgrades or automation opportunities.
• Track the ongoing performance of the team to deliver accurate and timely payroll in the current and optimized environments.

• Train, mentor, and coach payroll team members to foster a high-performance culture.
• Develop documentation and training materials to support team upskilling and ensure cross-functional coverage.
• Provide payroll training and guidance to P&O, finance, and business partners as needed.

• Train, mentor, and coach payroll team members to foster a high-performance culture.
• Develop documentation and training materials to support team upskilling and ensure cross-functional coverage.
• Provide payroll training and guidance to P&O, finance, and business partners as needed.

• 7+ years of U.S. payroll experience, including multi-state processing.
• 5+ year of Canadian payroll experience
• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, regulations, and best practices (e.g., FLSA, tax withholdings, wage garnishments)
• Experience with payroll systems (e.g., Workday, ADP, UKG, or similar).
• Proven experience in process improvement and payroll operations leadership.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to mentor and develop team members

• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or similar certification.
• Project management experience
• Experience in a high-growth or global organization

• A proactive, solution-oriented mindset with a passion for process excellence.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to coaching and leadership.
• A commitment to continuous learning and development-for yourself and others.