Payroll Specialist

Overview

The organization is expanding its team and is seeking a Payroll Specialist to take ownership of recurring payroll operations. This role supports employees and business operations through accurate, discreet, dependable, and compliant payroll processing.

Responsibilities

• Process multi-state payroll accurately and on schedule for hourly and salaried employees.
• Review and audit timekeeping and pay information (regular hours, overtime, paid time off, and shift differentials), and follow up on missing or inconsistent data before payroll is finalized.
• Administer employee garnishments, deductions, benefit elections, and 401(k) contributions in accordance with established procedures.
• Reconcile payroll registers and prepare payroll journal entries for the general ledger.
• Maintain payroll records and support compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour requirements.
• Prepare and reconcile quarterly and annual payroll filings, including W-2 forms.
• Respond to employee questions, research concerns, and resolve pay discrepancies in a timely and courteous manner.
• Assist with internal and external audits, workers’ compensation reporting, and payroll system improvements.
• Work collaboratively with Human Resources and Finance to strengthen processes, maintain accurate information, and support consistent payroll operations.

Requirements

• At least three years of hands-on payroll processing experience, including experience handling payroll across multiple states.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable federal and state wage and hour regulations.
• Familiarity with payroll platforms such as ADP, Paylocity, or UKG.
• Strong Excel skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to safeguard confidential employee and compensation information.
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Organized and responsive; comfortable managing sensitive information while meeting recurring deadlines.
• Ability to investigate discrepancies, communicate clearly with employees, and coordinate effectively with HR and Finance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation: $29 to $33 per hour.
• Schedule: generally predictable outside of payroll processing periods.
• Ongoing ownership of the full payroll cycle (not limited to a single processing step).
• Potential career progression toward Payroll Lead or Payroll Manager as the organization grows.
• Benefits include a stable environment with consistent growth and no history of layoffs.

Location

Multiple states (multi-state payroll processing required).