Payroll Specialist – Union & Certified Payroll

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of payroll for approximately 400 employees across multiple union and non-union employee groups. This position supports a complex construction payroll environment involving approximately eight collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), certified payroll, prevailing wage requirements, union fringe benefits, job costing, and multiple work locations.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience processing union construction payroll and understands that payroll accuracy extends beyond employee paychecks to include union reporting, benefit contributions, certified payroll compliance, and proper interpretation of collective bargaining agreements.

• Process weekly and/or biweekly payroll for approximately 400 union and non-union employees.
• Administer payroll requirements across approximately eight unions and collective bargaining agreements.
• Review and interpret CBAs to ensure proper application of wage rates, overtime rules, classifications, deductions, and fringe benefit requirements.
• Maintain current union wage and fringe benefit rates within the payroll system.
• Prepare and submit certified payroll reports for federal, state, municipal, and other prevailing wage projects.
• Ensure compliance with applicable Davis-Bacon, Illinois Prevailing Wage, and other prevailing wage requirements
  .
• Calculate and process union dues, assessments, vacation funds, pension, health and welfare, training funds, and other required union deductions and employer contributions.
• Prepare monthly union fringe benefit and remittance reports and reconcile amounts to payroll records.
• Review employee timecards, labor classifications, job assignments, cost codes, and wage rates prior to payroll processing.
• Coordinate with Operations and Project Management to resolve timekeeping, employee classification, job costing, and prevailing wage discrepancies.
• Process payroll adjustments, retroactive payments, bonuses, garnishments, deductions, and other payroll transactions.
• Maintain accurate employee payroll records and supporting documentation.
• Reconcile payroll registers, deductions, taxes, union liabilities, and related payroll accounts.
• Partner with HR on new hires, terminations, compensation changes, deductions, PTO, and other employee changes affecting payroll.
• Partner with Accounting on payroll funding, general ledger reconciliation, labor allocation, job costing, and month-end reporting.
• Respond to employee payroll questions and research discrepancies in a timely and professional manner.
• Support union, certified payroll, workers' compensation, financial, and other payroll-related audits.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee compensation and payroll information.
• Identify opportunities to automate and streamline payroll processes and reduce manual entry and reconciliation.
• Maintain organized payroll documentation and records in accordance with company and regulatory retention requirements.

• 5+ years of payroll experience
  , preferably within construction or another unionized environment.
• Direct experience processing union payroll strongly required.
• Experience working with multiple collective bargaining agreements and union wage schedules
  .
• Experience preparing and submitting certified payroll reports
  .
• Working knowledge of prevailing wage requirements
  .
• Experience calculating and reporting union fringe benefits and employer contributions.
• Strong understanding of payroll taxes, deductions, garnishments, overtime, and wage-and-hour requirements.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including lookups, Pivot Tables, reconciliation, and large-data review.
• Experience with a major payroll/HRIS platform;
  ADP Workforce Now experience strongly preferred
  .
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to meet strict weekly payroll deadlines.
• Ability to independently research discrepancies and resolve complex payroll issues.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively with field employees, union representatives, Operations, HR, Accounting, and leadership.

• Experience processing payroll for 300+ employees
  .
• Construction industry experience.
• Experience administering payroll across multiple unions and jurisdictions.
• Illinois prevailing wage and certified payroll experience.
• Experience with multi-state payroll.
• Experience with construction job costing and labor allocation.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) preferred but not…