SUMMARY:
The Payroll Manager is responsible for leading and administering full-cycle payroll operations across multiple company codes and payroll frequencies ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for all employee populations. This role supports more than 2,000 full- and part-time employees and plays a critical role in maintaining strong internal controls, data integrity, and audit readiness across all payroll-related activities. Reporting to the Director/HR Systems, Analytics, & Payroll, the Payroll Manager partners closely with Human Resources and Finance to mitigate risk, prevent errors or unauthorized transactions, and ensure payroll data is accurately reflected in ADP and properly recorded in financial systems.
The Payroll Manager conducts detailed payroll reviews prior to final approval, supports general ledger reconciliation and variance analysis, and ensures all earnings, deductions, benefits, retirement contributions, and tax withholdings are processed in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. This position prepares payroll reports, performs post-payroll audits to identify and resolve discrepancies, and supports internal and external audits by providing documentation, responding to inquiries, and demonstrating adherence to established payroll controls and procedures.
In addition to operational execution, the Payroll Manager assists the Director with continuous process improvement within ADP and across upstream and downstream payroll processes, including data entry, reporting, and GL postings, to enhance accuracy and efficiency. This role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong customer service skills, and the ability to operate effectively in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality and discretion. The Payroll Manager regularly interacts with employees at all levels and is committed to delivering a high-quality payroll experience that supports organizational compliance, operational excellence, and employee trust.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Administer and accurately process full-cycle payroll for all full-time and part-time employees on semi-monthly and biweekly payroll schedules across 8 company codes, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and compliance with applicable laws and internal deadlines.
- Process wage garnishments, interrogatories, levies, and other court-ordered deductions in accordance with applicable regulations, required timelines, and documentation standards.
- Manage payroll-related employee lifecycle transactions, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, and other ancillary payroll activities, ensuring accurate data entry and adherence to established deadlines.
- Oversee end-to-end payroll operations, including timekeeping administration, payroll uploads, audits, tax filings, payroll-related check requests, and manual payroll calculations when required.
- Support the Director with payroll processing for Players, Coaches, and travel staff, ensuring accurate and timely payroll execution for specialized employee populations.
- Work with Ticket Logistics team to document and process ticket taxation spreadsheet for identified sold-out games per IRS guidelines.
- Manage and post 16+ monthly payroll-related journal entries for both semi-monthly and biweekly payrolls and 8 company codes, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely posting to the general ledger.
- Process intercompany payroll journal entries in accordance with established accounting practices and internal controls.
- Coordinate and confirm Indiana Pacers player payroll schedules with the NBA League Office for each semi-monthly payroll cycle to ensure compliance with league requirements and payroll deadlines.
- Coordinate and confirm Indiana Fever player payroll schedules with the WNBA League Office and Fever Basketball Operations for each payroll during the WNBA season, ensuring timely and accurate processing.
- Maintain the State Wage Allocation spreadsheet for Pacers, BOOM, and Fever travel staff, ensuring accuracy of data related to multi-state work locations, and submit information to the Director for timely payroll processing.
- Track NBA, D-League, and WNBA duty days for travel staff on an annual basis and prepare customized duty-day summaries for each travel staff member as part of their annual W-2 distribution.
- Prepare and submit wage allocation state filings for California, Oregon, New York, Louisiana, and any other applicable states, ensuring compliance with state-specific payroll and tax regulations.
- Manage and maintain taxable per diem calculations for travel staff and scouts, ensuring proper tax treatment and accurate reporting through payroll.
- Track and deduct player and coach fines as communicated by the NBA and WNBA league offices.
- Prepare and distribute annual W-2 packets for travel staff employees.
- Work with ADP and the appropriate agencies, state and federal, to resolve any tax filing discrepancies.
- Monitor changes in federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations; partner with the Director to update payroll policies, procedures, systems, and internal controls to ensure ongoing compliance.
- Ensure compliance with payroll record retention requirements and maintain accurate, auditable payroll documentation in accordance with legal and organizational standards.
- Partner with the Accounting department to resolve payroll reconciliations, general ledger discrepancies, and payroll-related financial inquiries, ensuring alignment between payroll and financial reporting.
- Manage the payroll general ledger interface and reporting processes, including mapping, testing, validation, and the timely delivery of accurate monthly and ad hoc payroll reports to Finance.
- Assist with annual financial audits, including those required by the NBA and WNBA league offices, related to payroll.
- Provide exceptional customer service to internal customers (employees) and external partners by responding to payroll-related inquiries and issues in a professional, timely, and confidential manner.
- Demonstrate and promote the company’s “Elevate” culture through all interactions, consistently modeling professionalism, accountability, and service excellence.
- Maintain strict confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive employee and organizational information.
- Maintain flexibility to work a varied schedule, including occasional evenings or weekends, to support payroll deadlines, events, or meetings as required.
Perform other duties as assigned to support payroll operations and organizational objectives.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Additional requirements include:
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field
- 3-5 years of related experience required
- Proficient with payroll software; ADP experience preferred
- Full understanding of payroll functions including preparation, balancing, internal controls, and payroll taxes
- Payroll certification preferred
- Ability to build rapport with employees and vendors
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
COMPUTER SKILLS:
Employee should have excellent computer skills including a very strong knowledge of MS Office including Excel, Windows, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint as well as other software related to HR and payroll management.
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret instructions and reports. Ability to write reports and correspondence. Excellent written and verbal communication skills required; ability to communicate sensitive and/or difficult information effectively both in writing and verbally. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from Managers, Clients, Customers, and the general public.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
Knowledge to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as analyzing costs, figuring statistics, and interpreting governmental forms and payroll taxes.
REASONING ABILITY:
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret directions. Ability to adapt, adjust, and problem solve continuously to achieve consistent positive outcomes.
PROBLEM SOLVING REQUIREMENTS:
Employee must be able to make independent decisions when giving directions and advice to management and employees. Employee must exercise discretion and independent judgment when receiving confidential payroll and personnel information. Employee must be aware of insurance and disability policies as well as other potential Human Resource laws and requirements. This position must be able to review data, understand details but also be able to strategize on the big picture level and implement the details effectively.
PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to:
- Attend in-person meetings including some nights and weekends
- Collaborate on site with members of your team and other departments/employees throughout the company
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- The noise level in the office work environment is usually moderate.
- The noise level in the Fieldhouse/game environment is usually loud.
- The stress level may become high during certain times of the year and when payroll deadlines are due.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability status, gender identity, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other protected class.
