Payroll Manager

Panelmatic, Inc. was founded in 1957 in Youngstown, OH to serve manufacturing industries with the design and build of custom electrical, instrument, and pneumatic control panels. The company has grown to support a diverse clientele across chemical, environmental, food, pulp and paper, rubber, petroleum, pharmaceutical, glass, metals, and utilities industries, delivering equipment worldwide and ensuring compliance with domestic and international standards through sales, design, fabrication, testing, and delivery.

About the role

Panelmatic, Inc. is seeking an experienced Payroll Manager to own the payroll function end‑to‑end for 1,000+ employees across multiple states and six locations. This builder role will run payroll accurately and on time while developing processes, controls, and systems to support rapid growth—potentially two to three times the current headcount. The position will manage payroll across three businesses (two in‑house, one through a PEO) and will be integral to a forthcoming full‑suite HRIS implementation.

Responsibilities

• Own end‑to‑end payroll processing for 1,000+ employees across multiple states and six locations, ensuring accuracy and timeliness each cycle.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll questions from employees, managers, and Finance; own resolution and escalations.
• Maintain payroll compliance: multi‑state tax registration and filings, wage‑and‑hour requirements, overtime and shift‑differential rules, garnishments, and year‑end (W‑2) processing.
• Partner with Finance on payroll funding, GL mapping, accruals, and month‑end close to eliminate payroll‑driven close issues.
• Work with the Benefits team to reconcile benefit deductions to carrier invoices and resolve variances at the source.
• Manage the relationship and service levels with Insperity / Paylocity.
• Review and approve all inputs that feed each run—timekeeping data, new hires, changes, terminations, deduction changes—in a segregated‑of‑duties workflow with the HRIS Analyst.
• Document the current payroll process end‑to‑end, identify failure points, and build a standard, repeatable payroll calendar and checklist.
• Establish controls and segregation of duties appropriate to Panelmatic’s size and growth trajectory, including approval paths for off‑cycle payments and retro adjustments.
• Build audit‑ready documentation and support internal and external audit requests.
• Create manager‑ and employee‑facing guidance so routine questions are self‑serve.
• Define and maintain payroll rules in the HRIS (pay codes, overtime/shift differential logic, deduction setup, GL mapping standards) and keep them current through the HRIS Analyst.
• Own the payroll side of HRIS selection and implementation: requirements definition, pay structure and deduction conversion, parallel payroll testing, cutover, and post‑go‑live stabilization.
• Serve as payroll lead when the PEO‑based payroll for the PEO‑supported company is transitioned in‑house, handling funding, tax setup, filings, and W‑2 continuity.
• Partner with HR Operations leadership on implementation planning and standards.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including at least 2 years owning multi‑state payroll end‑to‑end.
• Hands‑on experience running multi‑state payroll in a payroll system (not purely outsourced processing).
• Demonstrated experience building or rebuilding a payroll process, not only running an existing one.
• Working knowledge of multi‑state wage and hour law, payroll tax, and garnishment administration.
• Strong Excel skills and comfort reconciling across systems.
• Track record of partnering effectively with Finance.
• Discreet with confidential compensation and employee data.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing, construction, industrial, or other hourly‑heavy, multi‑site environments.
• Experience through an HRIS implementation or payroll system conversion.
• Experience transitioning off a PEO to in‑house payroll and benefits administration.
• Experience supporting rapid headcount growth across multiple sites.
• CPP or FPC certification.
• Experience with Paylocity, Workday, UKG, or similar payroll platforms.
• High attention to detail with the judgment to know which exceptions matter.
• Comfortable defining processes in an environment that previously lacked them.
• Ability to explain payroll concepts clearly to non‑payroll audiences.
• A hands‑on manager who still reviews everything that touches a check.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, HSA, term life, AD&D, short‑term disability, long‑term disability.
• 100% medical premium paid by Panelmatic for employee‑only coverage.
• 80% of medical premium paid by Panelmatic for employee + child, employee + spouse, and family coverage (employee pays the remaining 20%).
• 401(k) contributions matched 100% up to 4%.
• Scholarships, educational reimbursement, paid volunteerism, and paid personal and professional development.
• PTO and paid holidays.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• Competitive wages.