Payroll Manager

Benefits Overview

A career at CoBank can offer you the opportunity to make a personal impact on the people and communities where we do business. In order to be the best, we hire the best!

Remarkable Benefits Offered by CoBank

• Careers with a purpose
• Time-Off Packages, 15 days of vacation, 10 paid sick days and 11 paid holidays
• Competitive Compensation & Incentive
• Hybrid work model: flexible arrangements for most positions
• Benefits Packages, including Medical, Dental and Vision coverage, Disability, AD&D, and Life Insurance
• Robust associate training and development with CoBank University
• Tuition reimbursement for higher education
• Outstanding 401k: up to 6% matching and additional 3% non-elective contribution & Student Loan Match
• Community Impact: United Way Angel Day, Volunteer Day and Associate Directed Contribution
• Associate Resource Groups: creating a culture of respect and inclusion
• Recognize a fellow associate through our GEM awards

Job Description

The Payroll Manager is responsible for end-to-end oversight of payroll for a multi-state, multi-entity workforce. This role ensures the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of payroll, while serving as the functional owner of the payroll system. The position requires expertise in payroll system configuration, pay code design, tax compliance, stakeholder management, and controls, and plays a key leadership role in continuous improvement, audits, and regulatory adherence within a highly controlled environment. This position is expected to coach, guide, and provide day to day work direction and resolution to complex pay situations to peers and stakeholders.

Essential Functions

• Ensures the timely and accurate processing of HR/payroll information including new hires, terminations, status changes, payroll deductions, and all master file information.
• Owns payroll procedures, and cross functional coordination. Resolves escalated payroll issues and enforce payroll policies. Reviews payroll entry work for accuracy and completeness prior to payroll close. Identifies knowledge gaps and process risks and provides guidance/coaching to team members and stakeholders.
• Create/modify earning codes, deductions, and pay components (and related priorities/taxability); Pay groups, payroll calendars, and earning priorities; tax configurations and jurisdiction setups. Partners with stakeholders such as HRIS, IT, Finance, and vendor support of configuration testing, system enhancements, and release impacts and regression testing.
• Develops systems, controls, methods, and procedures to ensure the integrity of the payroll outcomes and records and compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including cycle controls, quarterly tax reconciliations, year-end balancing, and any other processes to mitigate risks). Recommends and implements change in payroll procedures, existing methods, and internal controls to improve operational efficiency and maintain compliance. Secures audit-ready documentation and evidence for internal/external audits.
• Ensures the compliance with all applicable state and federal employment taxation and wage and hour laws and employment tax obligations; resolve agency notices and filing discrepancies in partnership with tax vendors/finance.
• Oversees and manages any payroll system conversion(s) and interface(s) with payroll provider, and other organizations as the result of mergers, acquisitions or vendor additions or changes.
• Provides guidance and interpretation of accounting theory, GAAP, Sarbanes-Oxley, employment tax laws, policies and procedures related to payroll accounting.
• Provides guidance and interpretation of accounting theory, GAAP, Internal Controls for Financial Reporting (ICFR), employment tax laws, policies and procedures related to payroll accounting.
• Maintain and evidence controls over payroll inputs, processing, approvals, and outputs (including GL tie-outs and reconciliation). Support review of risk and controls documentation and assessments. Ensure adherence to retention requirements for payroll and supporting financial records.
• Develops cross-training strategy to optimize payroll staff resources.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree required
• CPP strongly preferred

Work Experience

• 5 years of multi-state, multi-entity payroll administration experience. required
• Deep knowledge of U.S. payroll tax and wage/hour compliance.
• HRIS configuration and troubleshooting expertise, preferably with Dayforce/Ceridian.
• Strong audit, reconciliation, and risk-identification skills.
• Ability to coach and build collaborative and effective relationships with stakeholders and peers without formal authority.
• Detail-oriented, calm under payroll deadlines, and compliance focused.

Physical Exertion Details

Sedentary Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Travel Requirement Details

Occasional Travel occurs infrequently (typically, once a month or less).

About CoBank

The typical base pay range for this role is between $87,200 - $99,700. Compensation may vary based on individual job-related knowledge, skills, expertise, and experience. This position is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive program driven by organization and individual performance.

The listed salary, other compensation and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. This job will be posted for a minimum of five (5) business days or until the position is filled. CoBank reserves the right to adjust compensation for all positions and to modify or discontinue benefits programs at any time in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law.

CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 76,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

We are committed to ensuring that our online application process provides an equal employment opportunity to all applicants, including qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability, or are assisting an applicant with a disability, and require accessibility assistance or would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any aspect of the application process, including completing an application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please submit a request by emailing recruiting@cobank.com. Include your contact information and specific details about your requested accommodation.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

CoBank is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.