Assistant Payroll Manager at P.F. Chang's Bistro (2026-05 – Present)
Manage full-cycle payroll operations supporting 17,500+ team members across multiple payroll platforms.
- Oversee two biweekly and one weekly pay group, ensuring timely and accurate payroll processing.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll requirements while identifying and resolving compliance risks.
- Partner with management to update payroll policies and implement process improvements that strengthen accuracy and efficiency.
- Advise managers on complex payroll issues involving pay calculations, timekeeping, and labor requirements.
- Develop training materials and provide guidance to new team members on payroll processes and controls.
- Manage tip-based payroll processing and reporting, ensuring accurate earnings and payroll records.
- Develop and test Workday EIBs and payroll processing changes in the sandbox environment, validating data, configurations, and results before production implementation.
Payroll Director at Copa Health (2024-06 – 2026-02)
Managed the full lifecycle of multi-state payroll tax accounts, including new state registrations, account maintenance, state terminations, annual filings, and ongoing compliance requirements.
- Managed multi-state payroll processing for employees and consumers, ensuring accurate and timely compensation across multiple payroll populations.
- Reduced employee payroll processing time from 4 days to 3 days and consumer payroll processing from 2 days to 2 hours through process redesign and workflow improvements.
- Reduced 130+ earning codes to 30 standardized codes, simplifying payroll configuration while improving accuracy and processing efficiency.
- Developed payroll validation reports, controls, and SOP documentation to strengthen payroll accuracy and compliance.
- Managed and reconciled 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans.
- Completed payroll audits, Form 5500 reporting, and compliance reviews.
- Calculated 403(b) lost earnings and coordinated corrective remittances with Principal to resolve retirement plan contribution discrepancies.
Senior Payroll Manager at Ports America (2023-11 – 2024-07)
Directed multi-state payroll operations for 12,500+ employees across union and non-union populations, delivering accurate payroll processing across multiple jurisdictions.
- Led a team of 4 payroll professionals, setting priorities, balancing workloads, providing training, and managing escalation support for complex payroll issues.
- Managed specialized payroll requirements, ensuring compliance with union rules, garnishments, bonuses, retroactive pay, off-cycle payments, adjustments, and related earnings and deductions.
- Oversaw compliance reconciliations, year-end reviews, and tax discrepancy resolution to support accurate financial and regulatory reporting.
- Developed and standardized payroll procedures, union-specific checklists, controls, and documentation to drive consistency and reduce operational risk.
- Administered payroll operations, reporting, reconciliations, and system functions within UKG, Paychex, and ADP Workforce Now.
- Designed payroll discrepancy reporting tools and reinforced quality-control processes, enabling early identification and resolution of issues before payroll finalization.
- Partnered with HR, Finance, and other stakeholders to resolve complex payroll matters, support audits, and strengthen payroll controls.
- Led payroll system and process improvements through requirements gathering, testing, implementation, and ongoing optimization of payroll procedures and technology.
Payroll and HR Manager at Cove Communities (2022-04 – 2023-11)
Led a team of 2, including a Payroll Specialist and HR Generalist, to strengthen payroll and HR operations.
- Oversaw Canadian payroll processing, ensuring accurate earnings, deductions, reporting, and compliance requirements for Canadian employees.
- Managed payroll processing for 2,000+ employees across multiple locations and payroll groups, maintaining accurate and timely pay runs.
- Managed payroll integration activities for acquisitions involving 150+ employees at a time, including employee data, payroll setup, tax details, deductions, and system configuration.
- Managed payroll processing and maintained employee data, pay rules, earnings, deductions, and timekeeping configurations in UKG Dimensions.
- Partnered with HR, Finance, and operational leaders to resolve payroll issues, investigate discrepancies, and maintain accurate payroll records.
- Created and updated payroll procedures and documentation to ensure consistency and accuracy across payroll operations.
- Managed multi-state payroll tax compliance, reconciliations, reporting, and year-end payroll requirements.
- Identified and implemented strategies to streamline payroll and HR processes, improving data accuracy and strengthening controls during organizational growth.
Payroll Director at Keter Environmental Services (2018-03 – 2022-04)
Oversaw payroll accuracy, reconciliations, reporting, and resolution of complex payroll discrepancies and employee pay issues.
- Managed the end-to-end implementation and transition from Paychex to UKG, coordinating payroll requirements, system configuration, testing, data validation, and implementation activities to ensure a successful transition.
- Maintained payroll procedures, controls, and documentation to ensure consistent and compliant payroll operations.
- Led payroll operations while supervising a 5-person cross-functional team across payroll, scheduling, and collections, ensuring efficient and effective office operations.
- Partnered directly with the CFO and CEO on payroll growth, staffing, operational needs, workforce planning, and process improvement recommendations.
- Coordinated payroll, employee data, staffing, and cross-functional processes during the transition of business operations from California to Arizona.
- Recruited, interviewed, and hired multiple employees for the Phoenix office, including roles outside payroll, supporting broader workforce planning and office operations.
