Manager – Client Service/Payroll - Your Payroll Department at Kaizen CPAs + Advisors

Antioch, Illinois, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

20 Feb, 26

Salary

75000.0

Posted On

22 Nov, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

People Leadership, Coaching, Training, Communication, Workflow Coordination, Client Service, Payroll Processing, Team Collaboration, Problem Solving, Adaptability, Relationship Building, Payroll Law, Technical Solutions, Organizational Skills, Continuous Improvement, Performance Management

Industry

Accounting

Description

Company Description At Kaizen CPAs + Advisors & Your Payroll Department, we’re a people-first firm dedicated to helping businesses overcome financial challenges and achieve their goals. With decades of experience, we focus on practical, forward-thinking solutions that put people at the heart of everything we do. Our work is guided by four core values: Own It: Take pride in solving problems and delivering results. Be an Ideal Team Player: Collaboration and support are key to our success. Make a Positive Impact: We’re committed to making a difference for our clients, team, and community. Embrace a Growth Mindset: Constant learning and evolving helps us grow—together. At Kaizen and YPD, we prioritize the growth and well-being of our people. You’ll join a supportive team where challenges are turned into opportunities, and where your work truly makes a difference for our clients, the team, and your career. Join us and experience a people-first culture that values your success and development! Job Description Are you passionate about developing people and building strong teams? Do you thrive in creating clarity, supporting growth, and keeping others energized and motivated? We’re looking for a Manager to join our growing firm and help lead our nine-member payroll department. In this newly redesigned role, you’ll focus on the people side of leadership—providing coaching, training, and clear communication to ensure our payroll team thrives. You’ll hold regular 1:1s, coordinate workflow, and be the first point of contact for staff support and development. Partnering closely with our Director of Payroll, who leads technical operations, you’ll bring balance to the department by keeping the team aligned, engaged, and growing. You’ll also serve as a key communicator with clients and vendors, ensuring positive relationships and smooth collaboration. What You'll Do: Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and support for payroll team members Monitor and coordinate team workflow to ensure timely and accurate payroll delivery Interview, select, and train new employees Foster open communication and collaboration across the department Support a culture of accountability, development, and continuous improvement Perform monthly one-on-one meetings and quarterly conversations with all team members to guide performance, address challenges, and celebrate wins Serve as the first point of contact for client and vendor communication, ensuring issues are addressed promptly and relationships stay strong Hold a seat on the payroll leadership team—meeting weekly in an EOS L10—to partner with the Director of Payroll and COO on departmental goals and initiatives Daily & Weekly Responsibilities: Oversee the daily processing workflow to ensure all payrolls are processed, taxes are paid, bank accounts are reconciled, ACH file sent, and package fulfillment timely and accurately completed Work with vendors to resolve issues and reconcile vendor invoices Process voids, client corrections, service bureau corrections and supplemental runs Manage the YPD calendar so that all daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual processes are timely and accurately completed Create technical solutions to resolve payroll issues that arise with processing software and related technology Conduct weekly team meetings to address operations related issues/goals ensuring that the agenda and meeting minutes are memorialized Oversee client communications via isolved or Qount, cover letter notes, and email tag lines Ensure adequate staffing to complete daily processing/tax & finance needs Research payroll law related issues Assist in setting up new clients when needed Perform and analyze internal payroll processing audits Handle the daily Tax/Finance/ACH functions as backup when Tax Specialist is out Approve draw-down requests with banking institutions Approve/deny vacation requests; maintain minimal staffing needs Qualifications Required: Proven experience in people leadership; strong track record of mentoring, coaching, and developing staff Commitment to delivering exceptional client service, with a strong desire to consistently exceed expectations and hold others accountable to the same standards Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey complex information clearly Demonstrated ability to coordinate workflows in a deadline-driven environment Solid organizational skills and the ability to keep the team focused under pressure Highly adaptable to change and a strong desire to progress technologically Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams (including accounting), clients, and vendors, while effectively communicating with stakeholders at all organizational levels—from entry-level staff to C-suite executives. Preferred: Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, HR, or related field; or 3–5+ years in payroll, accounting, or operations management Premium: Previous experience managing a multi-faceted payroll operations team Experience with isolved payroll platform CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation or pursuit of certification Experience with EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) tools and practices Familiarity with payroll tax laws and multi-state compliance requirements Additional Information Here’s a peek at what’s ahead as we get to know each other: ✨ Please note: Progression through each step of the interview process is based on fit and qualifications and is not guaranteed for all applicants. We kindly ask that you do not contact us directly regarding your application, as doing so may result in disqualification. 📄 Apply: Submit your resume for review. 📞 Phone Screen: If we think there might be a great fit based on your resume, a brief call with HR will be scheduled to learn more about you and share details about the role. 🤝 First Panel Interview: Meet with the hiring team to discuss your experience, skills, and alignment with our core values. 📝 Assessments & References: Complete relevant assessments and provide professional references to help us get a full picture of your potential. 💬 Second Panel Interview: A deeper conversation with the team to explore fit, expectations, and next steps. 🎉 Offer: If it’s a match, we’ll extend an offer and begin onboarding! ···················································································································································· Compensation: Starting at $75k per year, based on experience. Benefits: We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and work-life balance. Benefits may include: Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Short-Term & Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance Cafeteria/Section 125 Plan Retirement/401(k): Employer match with 100% vesting on day one of eligibility Paid Vacation: Starting at 2 weeks, available for use from day one Paid Personal Time (PTO): 32 hours available to use from day one Paid Holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (if it falls during the work week), and Christmas Day Note: Benefits are subject to change or revocation at the sole discretion of the Firm. Equal Opportunity Employer: Kaizen CPAs + Advisors is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, free from discrimination and harassment. We prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, termination, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

Responsibilities

The Manager will provide day-to-day leadership and support for the payroll team, ensuring timely and accurate payroll delivery. They will also serve as the first point of contact for client and vendor communication, fostering strong relationships.