Senior Payroll Specialist

Overview

A professional services organization is seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Specialist to join its Finance & Accounting team. This fully remote position supports a large, multi-state employee population and offers a 37.5-hour workweek along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Responsibilities

• Process and manage end-to-end U.S. payroll operations, including multi-state payrolls.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and wage laws.
• Review payroll transactions such as direct deposits, tax elections, deductions, PTO payouts, and final pay calculations.
• Perform payroll reconciliations, prepare supporting documentation, and maintain audit-ready records.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee payroll inquiries.
• Partner with HR on employee lifecycle events including onboarding, terminations, compensation changes, and leave administration.
• Collaborate with Benefits and Accounting teams to ensure accurate deductions, reporting, and general ledger activity.
• Support payroll audits and year-end payroll processing activities.
• Maintain payroll controls, tracking tools, and reconciliation schedules.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive payroll experience.
• Strong experience with multi-state payroll processing and payroll tax compliance.
• Experience in a professional services environment is highly preferred.
• Proficiency with UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) or a similar enterprise payroll platform.
• Advanced Excel skills, including data analysis, lookups, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Strong understanding of payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, payroll accounting, and compliance requirements.
• CPP or FPC certification is a plus.
• Exceptional attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to meet deadlines.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $63,000 – $90,000 base salary
• Fully remote position (must be local to Washington, DC or New York City, NY)
• 37.5-hour workweek
• Overtime eligible
• Comprehensive benefits package

Location

Remote, with a requirement to be local to Washington, DC or New York City, NY.