Payroll Specialist

We are seeking an experienced Payroll Specialist to join a high-volume payroll department within a large, multi-department corporate organization. This individual will be responsible for supporting the accurate and timely processing of payroll for a large employee population while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.

The ideal candidate has experience working in a complex payroll environment, is comfortable managing high-volume transactions, and understands the importance of accuracy, confidentiality, and customer service. This position will collaborate closely with HR, Accounting, Benefits, and other internal departments to resolve payroll discrepancies and maintain accurate employee records.

Responsibilities

• Process and administer high-volume, multi-state payroll in accordance with established payroll schedules and company policies.
• Review and audit payroll data, including employee hours, overtime, deductions, bonuses, commissions, and other compensation adjustments.
• Ensure accurate processing of new hires, terminations, status changes, salary adjustments, and other employee lifecycle transactions.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, responding to employee inquiries regarding paychecks, tax withholdings, deductions, and direct deposits.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations, wage and hour laws, and applicable reporting requirements.
• Assist with payroll tax filings, quarterly and annual reporting, W-2 processing, and year-end reconciliations.
• Reconcile payroll-related general ledger accounts and assist with month-end and year-end close activities.
• Partner with HR and Benefits teams to ensure accurate administration of benefit deductions, garnishments, leave balances, and other payroll-related changes.
• Perform regular payroll audits to identify discrepancies, ensure data integrity, and maintain internal controls.
• Maintain confidential employee payroll records and supporting documentation.
• Assist with payroll system maintenance, testing, upgrades, and process improvement initiatives.
• Support internal and external payroll audits by providing requested documentation and reports.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in payroll processing or payroll administration.
• Experience supporting payroll within a large corporate or multi-location organization preferred.
• Knowledge of multi-state payroll processing, payroll taxes, and federal and state wage and hour regulations.
• Experience processing high-volume payroll with a strong emphasis on accuracy and deadlines.
• Understanding of payroll reconciliations, deductions, garnishments, and payroll reporting.
• Strong Excel skills, including experience working with spreadsheets, formulas, and data analysis.
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Strong communication and customer service skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with enterprise payroll systems such as Dayforce, Workday, ADP, UKG, or Oracle.
• Experience supporting payroll populations of 1,000+ employees.
• Multi-state and multi-entity payroll experience.
• Experience with payroll audits, reconciliations, and year-end processing.
• CPP or FPC certification is a plus.

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-volume payroll environment.
• Able to manage competing priorities while consistently meeting strict payroll deadlines.
• Proactive in identifying and resolving payroll discrepancies.
• Strong understanding of the relationship between Payroll, HR, Benefits, and Accounting.
• Takes ownership of payroll accuracy and employee experience.