Payroll & HR Operations Manager

About the Role

Our Client is hiring a Payroll & HR Operations Manager to serve as the central hub for payroll processing, attendance tracking, and basic HR administration. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in operational complexity, has a proactive mindset, and can bring structure to unstructured workflows.

You'll collaborate closely with regional coordinators, program staff, and the accounting team to ensure our 100+ contract teaching artists are paid accurately and on time—all while helping lay the foundation for long-term systems integration and process improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

Manage biweekly payroll for a distributed team of 100+ 1099 mentors using Paychex.
Aggregate attendance and stipend data from Salesforce, spreadsheets, and Asana to prepare for payroll entry.
Perform manual data entry into Paychex while identifying opportunities to streamline the process.
Conduct quality checks on payroll inputs and follow up with regional coordinators and site coordinators to verify and correct missing or inconsistent data.
Provide payroll-related documentation (e.g., pay stubs) for grant reporting.
Manage insurance and benefit deductions (e.g. insurance, 401k)

HR Administration & Coordination

Track employee and mentor eligibility for benefits (e.g., healthcare, 401(k)) and send templated onboarding emails.
Create contracts using existing templates, send for signature, and track completion status.
Support offboarding logistics including system removals, final pay processing, and documentation archiving.
Monitor the hiring inbox and route applications or questions to relevant staff.
Send internal communications such as holiday reminders, benefits notices, and birthday/anniversary emails.
Facilitate quarterly performance review cycles by sending reminders, tracking completions, and compiling responses using existing templates and tools.

Workflow & Systems Support

Partner with internal stakeholders to improve data flows between Salesforce, Asana, and Paychex.
Create and maintain internal SOPs for attendance verification, payment processing, and contractor compliance.
Collaborate with engineers and leadership to scope and test process automations and future API integrations.
Support the transition from manual to semi-automated systems without disrupting current operations.

What Success Looks Like

Regional Coordinators are no longer bogged down with administrative payroll tasks.
Attendance records are accurate, up-to-date, and verified prior to payroll submission.
Payment issues and data inconsistencies are proactively flagged and resolved.
A scalable foundation is laid for integrating systems and reducing manual work over time.

Qualifications

3–5 years of experience in payroll operations, HR coordination, or people operations.
Proficiency in Paychex (or similar payroll platforms), with strong Excel/Google Sheets skills.
Familiarity with Salesforce and Asana, or the ability to quickly learn and navigate complex systems.
Experience working with 1099 contractors, especially in education, nonprofit, or creative environments.
Highly detail-oriented and organized, with excellent follow-up and communication skills.
Ability to work independently, own processes end-to-end, and propose process improvements.

Payroll & HR Operations Manager