Payroll Lead

D.A. Collins Companies

Payroll Lead

269 Ballard Road

Wilton, New York

United States

The D.A. Collins Family of Companies has brought safety, quality and productivity to industrial, infrastructure, highway, and bridge construction for over 75 years. We are seeking a reliable individual for a position as a Payroll Lead to join a dedicated and hard-working team at our Wilton, NY Headquarters. If you are serious about your next job, D.A. Collins Family of Companies is an ideal place to grow your career.

Great benefit package including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance and a company-funded retirement plan. Please include your résumé and cover letter with your application.

Upon acceptance of offer, we will coordinate new hire paperwork and pre-employment substance abuse screening (Drug Free Employer).

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Payroll Processing & Technical Expertise

• Independently process complex weekly and biweekly payrolls for multiple company entities.

• Review payroll data for accuracy, resolve discrepancies, and process adjustments, corrections, special payments, bonuses, and out-of-cycle checks as needed.

• Maintain accurate employee payroll records, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, tax elections, deductions, direct deposits, and related payroll data.

• Maintain and review wage, fringe, union, deduction, and benefit rates to support compliance with collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and company policies.

• Prepare and review certified payroll reports, union reporting, payroll tax calculations, reconciliations, payments, filings, and year-end payroll reporting requirements.

• Support accurate labor distribution, job costing, and payroll reporting across company entities.

Team Leadership & Support

• Serve as a senior technical resource and first point of contact for Payroll Specialists on processing questions, unusual transactions, and complex payroll issues.

• Assist the Payroll Supervisor with weekly workload coordination, prioritization, and deadline management.

• Provide guidance, training, and cross-training on payroll processes, company payrolls, union requirements, reporting responsibilities, and department procedures.

• Strengthen departmental coverage by helping team members build knowledge across multiple company payrolls and reducing key-person dependencies.

• Provide workflow and technical support during the Payroll Supervisor’s absence while escalating matters that require management authority.

• Promote a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented team environment.

Quality Control & Compliance

• Perform secondary review of payroll work, key payroll reports, and assigned quality-control items.

• Identify unusual payroll activity, discrepancies, rate issues, or other exceptions requiring additional review.

• Help ensure payroll practices comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and company policies.

• Maintain strict confidentiality of payroll, compensation, employee, and company information.

• Support internal and external payroll audits and compliance requests as needed.

Process Improvement & Systems Leadership

• Assist the Payroll Supervisor in improving, standardizing, and simplifying payroll processes.

• Support development and maintenance of payroll procedures, checklists, calendars, and training documentation.

• Identify recurring payroll issues and recommend solutions to improve accuracy, efficiency, and consistency.

• Use payroll systems, Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and related technology to streamline payroll processing and reconciliation.

• Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, testing, new workflows, and process changes.

• Serve as a resource to team members as new systems, processes, and technology are introduced.

Business Partnership & Communication

• Work collaboratively with employees, supervisors, project teams, Human Resources, Accounting, and Operations to resolve payroll questions and issues.

• Respond to payroll inquiries professionally, accurately, and timely.

• Identify recurring communication or process issues between Payroll and operating departments and assist in developing solutions.

• Escalate significant payroll, compliance, employee-relations, or system issues to the Payroll Supervisor as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible payroll experience, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

• Demonstrated ability to independently process payroll, resolve complex issues, and meet critical deadlines.

• Experience with payroll taxes, deductions, employee records, reconciliations, and payroll reporting.

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and comfort using payroll systems and reporting tools.

• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to payroll accuracy.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team.

• Ability to train, support, and provide guidance to other team members.

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive employee information.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Associate’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.

• Experience processing payroll in a construction, heavy highway, materials, or similarly complex industry.

• Experience processing payroll for multiple companies, multiple states, and both union and non-union employee populations.

• Experience interpreting collective bargaining agreements, maintaining union wage and fringe rates, and supporting prevailing wage and certified payroll reporting.

• Experience preparing or reviewing union reports and payroll tax filings.

• Experience with construction payroll systems; Viewpoint Vista experience is a plus.

• Experience training or cross-training payroll staff and supporting process improvements, system implementations, or technology changes.

Compensation:

Competitive wage commensurate with experience. Excellent benefit package including company paid health, dental and vision insurance with a company-funded retirement plan.

Salary Range: $76,000 - $86,000

Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as related work experience, market conditions, education/training, certifications and other credentials, overtime when applicable, as well as applicable knowledge and skills.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, or genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.