Payroll & Compensation Manager or Payroll Operations Manager

Industry: Automotive Retail / Dealership Group

Join a Growing Automotive Group as Our Payroll & Compensation Manager

We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Payroll & Compensation Manager to lead payroll operations for a multi-location automotive dealership group. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate and compliant payroll processing across seven dealership locations, including both commissioned and union employees.

The ideal candidate will possess strong payroll expertise, a solid understanding of dealership operations, automotive financial statements, compensation structures, and performance-based pay plans. This position partners closely with executive leadership, department managers, accounting teams, Human Resources and the CFO to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Collaboration

• Directly supervise, mentor, and develop payroll team members responsible for payroll administration across multiple dealership locations.
• Establish performance expectations, provide coaching, conduct performance reviews, and support employee development.
• Ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance across all payroll processes and locations.
• Oversee workload distribution, training, cross-training, and succession planning within the payroll department.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex payroll, compensation, and compliance matters.
• Partner with Human Resources, Accounting, Operations, General Managers, and executive leadership to support organizational objectives.
• Communicate effectively with employees, managers, executives, and the CFO regarding payroll, compensation, and pay plan administration.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements, automation, and operational efficiencies.

Manage Payroll Administration & Compliance

• Manage end-to-end payroll processing for multiple dealership locations.
• Ensure timely and accurate payroll processing for hourly, salaried, commissioned, and union employees.
• Maintain payroll systems, controls, procedures, and documentation.
• Verify payroll data including hours worked, commissions, bonuses, incentive compensation, deductions, and benefit contributions.
• Process payroll adjustments, garnishments, tax withholdings, and benefit deductions.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and union payroll regulations.
• Maintain confidentiality and security of employee payroll information.

Employee Records & Reporting

• Perform payroll tax reporting, audits, reconciliations, and year-end processing.
• Manage updates and maintain payroll master files, employee records, tax elections, and compensation changes.
• Manage employee status changes including promotions, transfers, compensation adjustments, and terminations.
• Oversee the maintenance of records related to PTO, vacation, sick leave, and other leave programs.
• Prepare payroll-related reports including earnings, deductions, taxes, labor analysis, and management reporting.

Compensation & Pay Plan Administration

• Develop, implement, and maintain performance-based compensation plans for sales, service, parts, and administrative departments based on dealership financial statements and operation metrics.
• Review and update pay plans to ensure competitiveness, compliance, and alignment with business objectives.
• Partner with leadership to create compensation structures for new positions and organizational changes.
• Ensure accurate administration of commission and incentive programs.

Manage Compliance & Employee Lifecycle Administration

• Oversee hiring, onboarding, termination, as it relates to payroll documentation.
• Conduct regular payroll audits to ensure accuracy, compliance, and process integrity.
• Support internal and external audits as needed.
• Recommend process improvements and best practices to enhance payroll efficiency and accuracy.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including payroll leadership or management responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, developing, and managing payroll staff.
• Experience processing payroll for commissioned employees in a multi-location environment.
• Experience managing union payroll and collective bargaining agreement requirements.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax regulations, wage and hour laws, and payroll compliance.
• Experience developing and administering compensation, commission, and incentive pay plans.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret automotive dealership financial statements.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including reporting, data analysis, auditing, and reconciliation functions.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Automotive dealership payroll experience strongly preferred.
• Prior experience as a Controller, Assistant Controller, Office Manager, Accounting Manager, or similar dealership accounting leadership role.
• Strong understanding of dealership accounting processes, financial statement preparation, and operational reporting.
• Experience with Paycom or similar HRIS/payroll platforms.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.