Payroll Lead
About the Company
Schumacher F. Schumacher & Co. is an innovative interior design company disrupting the $150 billion global interior design industry. A technological leader on the design frontier with over 500 employees, the company is driven by a shared belief that design transforms life and a mission to help customers “celebrate the feeling of home.” Schumacher designs and produces fabrics, wallcoverings, trims, furniture, and accessories united by a passion for design, attention to detail, and a balance of innovation and heritage. The company operates globally recognized showrooms domestically and internationally. Core values: Preserve Our Entrepreneurial Spirit, Take Ownership & Accountability, Be Solutions-Oriented, Demonstrate Courage, Practice Adaptability, Embrace Collaboration. F. Schumacher & Co. (FSCO) is the parent company to many brands within its portfolio.
About the Role
The Finance department seeks a dynamic Payroll Lead to join the Treasury team, reporting to the Treasury Manager. This hands-on role plays a key part in two transitions: implementing Rippling as the new payroll, corporate card, expense reimbursement, and travel system; and closing out a former entity in each state where it operates, partnering with Finance on final payment remittances. Responsibilities include processing every pay run, owning payroll tax registration and reconciliation, maintaining accurate employee records, and managing corporate card, reimbursement, and travel programs. The ideal candidate has a genuine interest in payroll, finance, and design, understands handling sensitive employee information, is detail-driven, works independently from day one, and is comfortable in a period of change. This position has no direct reports but is built to grow in scope, team size, and influence over payroll operations.
Responsibilities
End-to-end payroll processing (UKG)
- Run the full payroll cycle for 500+ employees, from data intake through final approval and funding.
- Enter all payroll transactions in UKG, including new hires, terminations, pay changes, bonuses, commission, incentives, deductions, garnishments, and off-cycle payments.
- Maintain accurate employee profiles in UKG, including pay, tax, direct deposit, and deduction setups.
- Prepare and review pre- and post-payroll audits and variance reports; resolve discrepancies before payroll is finalized.
- Process off-cycle, manual, and final paychecks in line with state final-pay requirements.
- Respond to employee and manager payroll questions promptly and accurately.
Payroll tax registration and reconciliation
- Own state and local payroll tax registrations, including new account setups, rate updates, and agency correspondence.
- Reconcile payroll tax filings and payments against payroll registers and agency records each pay period and quarter.
- Research and resolve tax notices, penalties, and account discrepancies.
- Support Q4 and year-end close, including W-2 preparation and review.
Rippling payroll implementation
- Assist with pay runs during the transition, including any parallel runs between UKG and Rippling.
- Help gather, validate, and map data for migration, such as employee records, earnings and deduction codes, tax setups, and year-to-date balances.
- Test payroll results in Rippling and reconcile them against UKG output.
- Help document new payroll processes and controls for the team.
- Keep registrations up to date in both UKG and Rippling.
- In January, work on the transition of POA and TPA to Rippling.
Former entity termination
- Help close out the former entity in each operating state, including payroll tax account closures and final filings.
- Work with Finance on payment remittances to tax agencies and other payees tied to the former entity.
- Track closure status by state and escalate open items or risks.
Rippling spend & travel
- Be responsible for the corporate card program, including issuing new and replacement cards, cancelling cards, and booking journal entries for card transactions.
- Process biweekly expense reimbursements to employees.
- Manage a shared inbox for employee inquiries about expense reimbursements, corporate cards, and travel.
Miscellaneous
- Assist with additional projects and reporting as needed.
- Respond to and manage all inquiries in a timely and professional manner, ensuring accuracy of information.
- Demonstrate passion for excellence in providing the best customer experience.
Requirements
- 5-10 years of progressive payroll experience, including end-to-end processing for 500+ employees.
- Hands-on experience running payroll in UKG (UKG Pro).
- Multi-state payroll experience, including state and local tax registration, filings, and reconciliation.
- Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, including final-pay rules.
- Proven ability to reconcile payroll registers, tax filings, and general ledger entries.
- Proficiency in MS Windows and Office suite.
- Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables) for audits and reconciliations.
- High attention to detail, sound judgment with confidential data, and the ability to meet fixed payroll deadlines.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks and change direction based on business needs.
- Comfortable working across multiple systems.
- High level of ownership, accountability, and initiative.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or other related field.
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
- Experience with Rippling or other similar payroll systems.
- Experience closing out an entity, including payroll tax account closures across multiple states.
- Year-end payroll experience, including W-2 processing.
- Experience overseeing a corporate card program and their online portals, such as Rippling, Amex, or JPMorgan PaymentNet.
- Experience processing expense reimbursements with an expense reimbursement system, such as Rippling or Expensify.
- Experience managing a company travel system, such as Rippling or Concur.
- Experience managing a team or direct report.