Payroll Manager

Job Details:

Payroll Manager - Law Firm - $125-160k - Hybrid

The Payroll Manager will lead the strategic execution, compliance, and administration of the firm’s payroll functions. This role ensures all legal and non-legal staff are paid accurately and on time while maintaining strict adherence to multi-state and international tax regulations. The Manager acts as a key advisor to leadership regarding partner distributions, associate base-pay adjustments, and the integration of complex bonus structures within a legal environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Payroll Strategy & Execution: Oversee the end-to-end processing of multi-state payrolls for all attorneys, administrative staff, and partners.

• Partner Distributions: Manage the unique complexities of partner compensation, including draws, tax distributions, and K-1 related withholdings.

• Compliance & Tax Management: Ensure firm-wide compliance with federal, state, and local tax regulations, including payroll tax filings, W-2/1099 production, and "nexus" issues related to traveling attorneys.

• System Optimization: Lead the maintenance and enhancement of the firm’s payroll systems, ensuring seamless integration with time-entry and HRIS platforms.

• Audit & Reporting: Conduct regular internal audits to ensure data integrity. Lead the preparation of payroll-related reports for the Finance, Tax, and Benefits departments.

• Associate Cycles: Partner with the Compensation team to execute annual lockstep increases, ensuring precise adjustments for associate classes and bonus payouts.

• Policy Development: Establish and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for payroll to ensure continuity and risk mitigation.

Required Qualifications

• Experience: A minimum of 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership capacity.

• Industry Knowledge: Previous experience within a law firm environment is required. Candidates must understand partner capital accounts, associate lockstep models, and professional services billing structures.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Technical Skills: Expert-level proficiency in payroll software (such as ADP, Workday, Dayforce or UKG) and advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and data modeling.

• Certification: CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) is strongly preferred.

To apply, please send your resume and references to [email protected].

I look forward to connecting with you!

Dan Urban

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.
1001 Conshohocken State Rd, Suite 2-410

West Conshohocken, PA 19428

Call or Text: 484.567.2093 – Direct

610.941.6300 Ext 119 - Main

[email protected]