Bernalillo County is 1,160 square miles and is New Mexico’s most populous county with more than 676,000 residents. Bernalillo County government provides a wide range of public services to residents who live in Albuquerque, Los Ranchos and Tijeras with approximately 106,000 residents living in unincorporated areas of the county. Bernalillo County employs approximately 2,500 people and has an annual operating budget, capital investments and other funds of more than $1 billion. Elected officials include five county commissioners, assessor, clerk, probate judge, sheriff and treasurer.

Bernalillo County

Department of Human Resources

Job Descriptions

What does the red Zia symbol mean? The Zia sun symbol represent the four cardinal directions, the four seasons of the year, the four period of each day (morning, noon, evening, and night), and the four seasons of life (childhood, youth, middle age, and old age). The centre of the sun symbol stands for life itself. The yellow field with red symbol pays recognition to the Aragon Realm of the conquistadors and their homeland in Spain.
JCM524: Payroll Manager

Payroll Manager

Job Code
Grade
Bargaining Unit
JCM524
10
None
       
       
Salary
As Hourly
As Annual
89,128.00 - 111,946.00 - 140,733.00 USD Annual
$42.85 - $53.82 - $67.66
$89,128.00 - $111,946.00 - $140,733.00

POSITION SUMMARY

The Payroll Manager leads a team responsible for the accurate and efficient processing of county-wide payroll through Bernalillo County’s workforce system, Workday. This role develops and enforces payroll policies and procedures to ensure integrity and compliance. The Payroll Manager works closely with staff and internal partners to meet all payroll needs and oversees payroll processes in a large-scale environment.

DUTIES AND RESPONSBILITIES

  • Oversee payroll and timekeeping operations, including planning, prioritizing, and directing team responsibilities.
  • Manage experienced professionals who exercise independent judgment and discretion.
  • Develop staff to meet current and future department needs and take responsibility for team performance and outcomes.
  • Design, implement, maintain, and review payroll systems to ensure accurate and timely payroll transactions.
  • Ensure compliance in payroll processing, including the calculation of gross and net pay (e.g., salary, overtime, shift pay, bonuses, deferred compensation, benefits, tax withholdings, garnishments, and deductions).
  • Evaluate existing systems and recommend improvements to enhance operational efficiency.
  • Identify and implement updates to payroll systems, software, and procedures.
  • Reconcile or review payroll records, including payments, deductions, and general ledger entries for wages.
  • Prepare variance analyses and explanations for fluctuations in payroll general ledger accounts. Generate payroll expenditure reports, including tax payments.
  • Facilitate audits and reviews by maintaining and providing required records to auditors and government regulators.
  • Ensure accurate and timely updates to payroll for new hires, terminations, and pay rate changes.
  • Review and assess internal payroll and timekeeping controls.
  • Develop and implement new controls to strengthen payroll and timekeeping accuracy.
  • Maintain accurate records and reports of payroll transactions, including leave balances such as vacation and sick leave.
  • Ensure quality assurance checks are completed for all payroll and timekeeping processes.
  • Present quality assurance reports to the Director of Accounting and Budget and take corrective action when necessary.
  • Monitor and manage compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws.
  • Communicate payroll-related updates, changes, and reminders to staff, management, and executives.
  • Manage outsourced payroll vendors to ensure compliance with requirements, laws, and service level agreements.
  • Handle sensitive or confidential records, plans, documents, and decisions with discretion.

*The above information is intended to outline the general nature and scope of the duties required for this position. It is not an exhaustive list and may vary depending on specific job assignments and responsibilities. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
  • Nine (9) years of related work experience with increasingly responsible professional accounting experience.
  • Five (5) years of experience directly related to payroll processing.
  • Five (5) years in a managerial role.

*Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience may be considered for the above requirements. 

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

SCREENING AND COMPLIANCE

The offer of this Bernalillo County position requires compliance with the following:

  • Successfully complete the post-offer employment medical examination and background investigation.
  • Comply with County safety guidelines.
  • Complete required FEMA training(s) assigned to the position.
  • Complete required supervisor training, if applicable.

WORKING CONDITIONS

  • Performs essential duties indoors in a temperature-controlled environment.
  • Works primarily on an even, dry, carpeted, or tiled floor.
  • Works independently most of the time; occasionally works in groups or with a designated team.

EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, AND MATERIALS

  • Equipment typically used in the performance of office duties includes telephone, computer, printer, and copy machine.
  • Handles logs, spreadsheets, graphs, pie charts, writing utensils, and various office forms.

Revision: 8/21/2025 1:40:29 PM