Payroll Manager

About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop is the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 190 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more atwww.sesame.organd follow Sesame Workshop onInstagram,TikTok, Facebook, and X.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Payroll Manager, the Payroll Manager will serve as the primary payroll processor for all Sesame Workshop employees' full-time, part-time, Season Union, and Non-Union Seasons' across both ADP Workforce Now and Cast & Crew. This role will handle the day-to-day processing workload across all pay groups, enabling the Senior Payroll Manager to focus on payroll oversight, compliance monitoring, state registrations, and strategic initiatives. This role requires a detail-oriented, process-driven individual who maintains thorough payroll documentation and notes. The Payroll Manager will work closely with Finance, People & Culture, and Legal to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, support employee record onboarding, and assist with retirement plan contribution uploads and payroll tax compliance

Job Responsibilities

Delivery

* Serve as the primary payroll processor responsible for managing and executing all payroll runs, including the ADP Workforce Now semi-monthly payroll for staff and variable-hour employees, as well as all Cast & Crew payrolls including the Season Union Weekly, Non-Season Union Weekly, and Semi-Monthly production payrolls (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA)

* Reconciliation of IRS Form 941 on a quarterly basis and assisting Assistant Controller with year end reconciliation for audit purposes

* Assist in the monitoring and timely responsiveness of the Payroll Inbox

* Process and upload semi-monthly retirement plan contributions (401k and 457b) to Vanguard following each Cast & Crew semi-monthly payroll run, reconcile contribution amounts to payroll registers, and escalate discrepancies to the Senior Payroll Manager

* Maintain proficiency across all payroll runs and systems to ensure seamless coverage and support the Senior Payroll Manager in managing overall payroll operations, including residual payments for talent

* Assist Senior Payroll Manager with annual Workers' Compensation audit, state and tax related items as well as any calendar year end adjustments

* Support employee record onboarding and maintenance in ADP Workforce Now and Cast & Crew, including new hire setup, tax elections, benefit enrollments, direct deposit, union status coding, and ongoing employee record changes

* Maintain detailed, organized payroll processing notes for every pay cycle, documenting all exceptions, adjustments, overrides, and resolutions with dates and authorizations to ensure a clear audit trail and continuity across the payroll team

* Perform payroll-to-general-ledger reconciliation on a regular basis, investigate and resolve discrepancies, and provide supporting documentation to Finance for month-end and quarter-end close

* Monitor outstanding payroll checks and proactively initiate reissuance for uncashed items approaching stale-dated thresholds, coordinating with employees and Finance to resolve before escalation to unclaimed property

Engagement

* Partner directly with the Senior Payroll Manager on day-to-day payroll operations and serve as a key point of contact across People & Culture, Legal, and Finance on matters including employee changes, union compliance, payroll expense tracking, and tax withholding

* Communicate proactively with cross-functional stakeholders via Microsoft Teams and shared documentation (e.g., Notion), ensuring payroll-related decisions, process updates, and open items are visible and well-documented for the broader team

* Maintain the highest level of confidentiality and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills when responding to employee pay inquiries, resolving discrepancies, and coordinating sensitive information across departments

Required Qualifications

* Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or equivalent work experience

* 3-5 years of payroll processing experience

* Previous experience in production payroll

* Hands-on experience with ADP Workforce Now

* Working knowledge of payroll tax regulations and retirement plan contribution processing

* Familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite) and comfort navigating integrated financial platforms, and Cast & Crew payroll systems or equivalent (Wrapbook, Greenslate or Entertainment Partners)

Preferred Qualifications

* Excellent communication skills, both written and oral

* Proficient in Excel (Pivot Tables, LOOKUP formulas, etc).

* Experience with process documentation, SOP development, or workflow improvement in a payroll or accounting environment

Sesame Workshop Hybrid Work Policy

This position is based at our headquarters office in New York (Manhattan) at 1900 Broadway, New York, NY, and follows a hybrid work model. In-office requirements vary by role and employee group, and currently range from two to five designated in-office days per week.

Pay Transparency Policy Statement

As a federal contractor, Sesame Workshop follows Pay Transparency and non-discrimination provisions as guided by the U.S. Department of Lab

Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE) Statement

Sesame Workshop is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy-related condition, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

PSEA Statement

Sesame Workshop is an equal-opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on the business needs, job requirements & suitability of the candidate. Sesame Workshop strictly follows the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of program participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Sesame Workshop staff, consultants, visitors to the program and partner organization, and the standards of behavior expected from them.