Payroll Accounting Manager

Position Overview

This position plays a crucial role in overseeing the accounting and financial reporting of all global employee-related expenses, including payroll, benefits, employee reimbursements, and accrued paid time off/leave. This role ensures accurate recording, reconciliation, and reporting of these high-impact expense areas while strengthening internal controls and improving operational efficiency. 

This position is ideal for a hands-on accounting leader who can both execute and elevate processes. The expectation is that this individual will proactively assess current workflows, identify inefficiencies, and implement scalable process and system improvements to support a growing, performance-driven organization. 

Responsibilities:

Global Payroll & Employee Cost Accounting 

• Oversee accounting for global payroll, including wages, bonuses, commissions, payroll taxes, and related liabilities.
• Ensure accurate accounting for international payroll providers and multi-country payroll processes.
• Manage accounting for global employee benefits programs, including health, retirement, and statutory benefits.
• Oversee accounting for employee expense reimbursements and credit card activity across regions.
• Manage and review accrued PTO calculations and related liabilities by jurisdiction.
• Review and approve journal entries related to global employee-related costs.
• Own and reconcile all balance sheet accounts associated with payroll, benefits, reimbursements, and PTO accruals.
• Perform variance analysis and investigate fluctuations in global employee-related expenses. 

Month-End Close & Reporting 

• Lead month-end close activities for all employee-related cost areas.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting in accordance with GAAP.
• Prepare supporting schedules and documentation for management reporting.
• Partner with FP&A to ensure alignment between accounting results and workforce reporting.
• Support audit requests and provide detailed documentation as needed. 

Process Improvement & Systems Enhancement (Key Focus Area) 

• Evaluate existing payroll and employee cost accounting processes for efficiency and risk.
• Identify opportunities for automation, integration, and improved controls within ERP and payroll systems.
• Standardize and document procedures to enhance consistency and scalability.
• Partner with Payroll, HR, and IT to improve data flow between systems.
• Implement improvements that shorten close timelines and reduce manual work.
• Strengthen internal controls around employee-related expense accounting. 

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Serve as the primary accounting liaison to Payroll and HR.
• Provide guidance on accounting implications of compensation changes, benefit updates, and policy changes.
• Support special projects, including system upgrades and integrations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or related field required 
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience including ownership of payroll, benefits, employee reimbursements, and PTO/leave accruals
• Experience with multi-entity and/or multi-country environments, global payroll, benefits employee reimbursements, leave accruals strongly preferred 
• Strong understanding of GAAP and accrual-based accounting, with demonstrated experience leading month-end close activities for significant expense areas 
• Hands-on experience with ERP, T&E, and payroll systems (NetSuite, Ramp, and Rippling preferred) and comfort working across multiple systems and data sources 
• Proven experience improving or implementing accounting processes and internal controls, including automation, integrations, and documentation of standard operating procedures 
• Advanced Excel skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a high level of attention to detail and accuracy 
• Effective cross-functional collaborator with experience partnering closely with Payroll, HR, and FP&A 
• Understanding of payroll processing would be considered an advantage

At Follett Software, our people come first.
We’re deeply committed to supporting the well-being, growth, and success of every Team Member. That commitment shows up in a thoughtfully designed, comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive—at work and in life. Here’s what you can expect:

• Fully remote work, giving you the flexibility to do your best work from anywhere in the continental U.S. (unless otherwise noted)
• Subsidized healthcare plans, including orthodontic coverage, with HSA option that includes employer matching
• Company-paid disability and life insurance, with the option to enhance coverage through voluntary plans
• Robust Paid Time Off, including Flex PTO for salaried roles, paid parental leave, company holidays, and paid volunteer service time
• Retirement savings with employer match, vesting every pay period
• Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare and dependent care
• Optional supplemental coverages, such as accident, hospital, and critical illness insurance, identity theft and credit monitoring, and legal protection services
• Meaningful recognition and tangible rewards that celebrate achievements, fuel motivation, and recognize both individual and team success