Payroll Implementation Specialist

The successful Payroll Implementation Specialist is a payroll professional who understands technology. This individual recognizes that payroll and timekeeping configuration is not merely a technical exercise; it directly affects employee pay, regulatory compliance, client risk, and financial outcomes. They are passionate about helping their clients get the most out of the systems they have helped to design.

The ideal candidate is confident, resourceful, and solutions-oriented. When the answer is not immediately clear, they investigate, test, consult the right resources, and return to the client with a well-supported recommendation.

This position is ultimately responsible for helping ensure the client’s payroll and timekeeping system is configured to produce accurate pay, reliable time records, defensible compliance, and a successful client experience.

• Lead client discovery sessions to understand payroll, timekeeping, HR, scheduling, compensation, accrual, approval, and workforce-management processes.
• Evaluate current payroll and timekeeping practices, identify risks or inefficiencies, and recommend practical system solutions that support accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.

• Configure payroll and timekeeping system components, including earnings, deductions, pay frequencies, payroll calendars, employee classifications, departments, locations, tax settings, schedules, work rules, approvals, pay codes, and time‑entry workflows.
• Configure wage-and-hour related rules, including overtime, meal and rest‑period functionality, rounding, premiums, accruals, and other pay practices.
• Support configuration of sick leave, vacation, PTO, and other accrual programs in accordance with client policies and applicable requirements.
• Understand how compensation components affect the regular rate of pay, overtime calculations, wage statements, and payroll accuracy.
• Configure or validate user roles, permissions, approval structures, and access controls.

• Map, import, validate, and reconcile employee, payroll, compensation, deduction, tax, timekeeping, accrual, and historical data from legacy systems.
• Identify and resolve data discrepancies, missing information, configuration exceptions, and other implementation issues before go‑live.
• Confirm go‑live readiness by validating configuration, data, testing results, client training, open issues, and transition requirements.

• Train client payroll, HR, management, and timekeeping administrators on system functionality, required processes, approval workflows, and implementation decisions.
• Provide hands‑on go‑live support during initial payroll processing and transition to production.
• Build credibility as a trusted advisor by balancing client business needs with system integrity, payroll accuracy, and compliance considerations.

• Investigate payroll and timekeeping discrepancies to determine whether the root cause is employee data, configuration, process, calculation logic, integration, or user behavior.
• Research system functionality, test potential solutions, and use internal resources when the correct configuration is not immediately apparent.

• 2+ years of experience in payroll, payroll implementation, payroll administration, payroll operations, HRIS, workforce management, timekeeping, or a closely related field.
• Working knowledge of payroll calculations, timekeeping processes, pay codes, deductions, overtime, accruals, employee classifications, and the relationship between time records and payroll results.
• Experience…