OPT Payroll Manager Jobs
Payroll Manager jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in accounting, human resources, or business administration. Most roles qualify as STEM-adjacent under business operations, and employers in this field routinely file H-1B visa petitions, giving you a realistic path beyond your OPT window.
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Get Access To All JobsPosition Summary:
Provide administrative support to faculty and staff at NYU’s Institute of Human Development and Social Change (IHDSC) with a focus on payroll, operations, and grants management. Create and analyze data and make recommendations for improving operational effectiveness. Manage the appointment process for all personnel working on research projects, including student workers, research staff, and temporary workers. Onboard new personnel and manage the reappointment process. Conceptualize and create manuals and brochures for department procedures concerning hiring, payroll operations, and personnel management. Manage faculty effort on research projects, including summer salary and course releases. Coordinate with Steinhardt HR and Central HR to support additional personnel-related processes, like visa applications, terminations and resignations, and effort reporting. Support everyday operations for IHDSC core team and research staff, manage requests related to space, facilities, and supplies, and support with event management and catering. Provide personnel-related and other support for pre-award and post-award grants management. Take the lead on training Project Coordinators, ensuring that they are up-to-date on institutional policies. This is a one year fixed-term role with reappointment contingent upon the availability and continuation of funding.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required Education:
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent
Required Experience:
2+ years of increasingly responsible administrative experience, including managing administrative services/processes and budgets.
Preferred Experience:
2+ years Experience in a professional setting preferred.
Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- Excellent interpersonal, listening, and written and verbal communication skills and a commitment to equity and excellence.
- Demonstrated use of business application software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, and Google suite.
- Ability to work in a team and independently.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to interpret and execute complex policies, procedures and processes.
- Highly self-motivated and directed.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
Must be able to strictly follow data privacy and security procedures for data handling and analysis to ensure adherence to legal and institutional standards.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is USD $77,000.00 to USD $77,000.00. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. This pay range represents base pay only and excludes any additional items such as incentives, bonuses, clinical compensation, or other items.
NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/nyugreen.
NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply at all levels.
Position Summary:
Provide administrative support to faculty and staff at NYU’s Institute of Human Development and Social Change (IHDSC) with a focus on payroll, operations, and grants management. Create and analyze data and make recommendations for improving operational effectiveness. Manage the appointment process for all personnel working on research projects, including student workers, research staff, and temporary workers. Onboard new personnel and manage the reappointment process. Conceptualize and create manuals and brochures for department procedures concerning hiring, payroll operations, and personnel management. Manage faculty effort on research projects, including summer salary and course releases. Coordinate with Steinhardt HR and Central HR to support additional personnel-related processes, like visa applications, terminations and resignations, and effort reporting. Support everyday operations for IHDSC core team and research staff, manage requests related to space, facilities, and supplies, and support with event management and catering. Provide personnel-related and other support for pre-award and post-award grants management. Take the lead on training Project Coordinators, ensuring that they are up-to-date on institutional policies. This is a one year fixed-term role with reappointment contingent upon the availability and continuation of funding.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required Education:
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent
Required Experience:
2+ years of increasingly responsible administrative experience, including managing administrative services/processes and budgets.
Preferred Experience:
2+ years Experience in a professional setting preferred.
Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- Excellent interpersonal, listening, and written and verbal communication skills and a commitment to equity and excellence.
- Demonstrated use of business application software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, and Google suite.
- Ability to work in a team and independently.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to interpret and execute complex policies, procedures and processes.
- Highly self-motivated and directed.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
Must be able to strictly follow data privacy and security procedures for data handling and analysis to ensure adherence to legal and institutional standards.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is USD $77,000.00 to USD $77,000.00. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. This pay range represents base pay only and excludes any additional items such as incentives, bonuses, clinical compensation, or other items.
NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/nyugreen.
NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply at all levels.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Payroll Manager
Lead with your payroll software credentials
Proficiency in ADP, Workday, or Ceridian is often the first filter employers use. Listing certifications or hands-on experience with these platforms upfront signals you can contribute immediately, which makes the sponsorship conversation easier to have.
Target companies with established HR infrastructure
Mid-size and enterprise employers with dedicated HR or finance departments are far more likely to have sponsored visas before. They already have immigration counsel on retainer, which removes the biggest barrier OPT candidates face when asking about sponsorship.
Time your job search around your OPT start date
Payroll roles often have 30 to 60 day onboarding periods before you touch live payroll cycles. Starting your search two to three months before your OPT begins gives employers enough lead time to hire you without timeline anxiety.
Emphasize compliance knowledge in your resume
Employers hiring Payroll Managers care deeply about tax law, wage and hour regulations, and multi-state payroll rules. Candidates who demonstrate this knowledge reduce perceived risk, which matters when an employer is weighing the added step of sponsoring a visa.
Pursue Fundamental Payroll Certification before applying
The FPC credential from the American Payroll Association is attainable without prior U.S. work experience and signals seriousness to hiring managers. It also distinguishes your application in a pool where most competitors have longer domestic work histories.
Address your work authorization status early and clearly
Bring up your OPT status before the offer stage, not after. Briefly explaining your timeline, including any STEM extension eligibility, gives employers room to plan and prevents last-minute complications that cause otherwise strong candidates to lose offers.
Payroll Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Payroll Managers in the United States?
Yes. Payroll Manager roles fall within business operations and human resources, both of which qualify as directly related to common F-1 degree fields such as accounting, finance, and business administration. As long as the role aligns with your degree, it meets the OPT employment requirement. You can browse verified OPT-eligible Payroll Manager positions on Migrate Mate.
Does a Payroll Manager role qualify for a STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. If your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as management information systems, data analytics, or computer information systems, and the Payroll Manager role uses those skills, you may qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. Accounting and finance degrees are generally not STEM-designated, so confirm your program's CIP code with your DSO before counting on the extension.
Which types of employers are most likely to sponsor Payroll Managers for H-1B visas?
Large employers across healthcare, technology, financial services, and professional services firms are the most consistent H-1B visa sponsors for Payroll Managers. These organizations process high payroll volumes across multiple states, justify the senior role, and have existing immigration infrastructure. Smaller companies without prior sponsorship history are less predictable, even when the role is otherwise a strong fit.
What should I do if my OPT authorization period ends before my employer files an H-1B petition?
If you have a STEM extension and your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT expires, you may be eligible for cap-gap protection, which bridges your status through September 30 of that year. Without a STEM extension, your options narrow significantly. Planning your timeline carefully and choosing employers who commit to sponsorship early reduces the risk of a gap in work authorization.
How competitive are Payroll Manager roles for OPT candidates compared to entry-level finance jobs?
Payroll Manager roles typically require three to five years of payroll-specific experience, which puts them out of reach for most recent graduates without prior internship or co-op experience in payroll functions. Candidates who interned in payroll, worked part-time in HR operations, or hold the FPC or CPP certification are meaningfully more competitive. Some employers also consider candidates with strong accounting backgrounds who are willing to specialize.