Sr. Payroll Specialist

JOIN THE BEST TEAM IN SPORT & SPIRIT At Varsity Brands, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed and every educator wants to make a difference. It takes a team to make a real impact, and through our two divisions – BSN SPORTS and Varsity Spirit – and our network of 6,000+ employees and independent representatives, we are proud to partner with a wide range of educational institutions and club and professional sports to transform the student journey in SPORT and SPIRIT.

12-month Contract, Full-time hours

Onsite - Farmers Branch, TX

This is an exempt position with a standard working schedule of 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Potential for overtime hours as needed.

Reporting to the Director of Payroll, the Sr Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing accurate and compliant payroll for Varsity Brands employees across multiple pay frequencies. This role partners closely with the broader Varsity Brands Payroll and HR Operations teams to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while delivering a seamless pay experience through Workday Payroll.

• Working knowledge of Workday Payroll configuration, pay components, earnings, deductions, retro calculations, and payroll integrations, while maintaining working knowledge of legacy ADP WFN processes.
• Process weekly, biweekly, and semi-monthly payrolls in Workday and ADP WFN, ensuring accurate calculation of wages, taxes, benefits deductions, and garnishments. Assist current payroll team with transition to Workday payroll with training and guidance. Support parallel processing and historical reconciliation within ADP Workforce Now (WFN) as needed during transition.
• Ensure payroll data integrity through audit controls, exception reporting, and documented payroll procedures.
• Review and validate inbound time data from UKG/Kronos and ADP Time and Attendance, ensuring proper integration into Workday Payroll and ADP WFN.
• Perform payroll audits including pre- and post-payroll validations, retroactive adjustments, off-cycle payrolls, and balancing of payroll registers.
• Partner with HR, Benefits, and PSC teams to ensure accurate employee data, pay changes, new hires, terminations, and leave-related pay impacts are reflected correctly in Workday and ADP WFN.
• Maintain compliance with Wage and Hour laws, multi-state tax regulations, and company payroll policies.
• Process and reconcile tax filings and withholding payments.
• Administer employee garnishments, tax levies, and child support orders in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Support payroll accounting activities including GL interface validation, funding reports, and audit requests.
• Manage the Payroll inbox and provide exceptional customer service by responding to employee inquiries throughout the employee lifecycle.
• Identify and recommend process improvements leveraging Workday functionality, automation, and reporting capabilities.
• Create and analyze payroll reports using Workday reporting tools and advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, data validation, etc.).
• Support internal and external payroll audits, ensuring proper documentation and adherence to SOX and financial control requirements where applicable.

• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• High attention to detail and ability to manage confidential employee information with integrity and discretion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a strong customer service orientation.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and leveraging system capabilities to enhance payroll accuracy and efficiency.

• Associate degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of payroll administration experience in a multi-state environment.
• Hands‑on experience with Workday Payroll required; experience with ADP Workforce Now (WFN) strongly preferred.
• Experience processing multiple pay frequencies (weekly, biweekly, semi‑monthly).
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local payroll tax…