Payroll Specialist

Company Overview

At WashU Carwash, our mission is to be our community's preferred car wash brand by obsessively pursuing excellence in all things. We take pride in maintaining high standards and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Our core values guide our approach to business and customer service: a strive-not-arrived attitude, the belief that good enough is not good enough, the importance of healthy communication rooted in respect, reliance on data-driven decision‑making, and embracing a lean mindset.

As the Payroll Specialist at WashU, you will be an integral member of the Finance team, responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple sites and entities. This role plays a critical part in supporting employees, maintaining payroll integrity, and partnering cross‑functionally with Finance, HR, and Operations. This position reports to the Controller.

• Process bi‑weekly payroll for all employees using ADP, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Review and validate payroll inputs including hours worked, deductions, benefits, bonuses, and adjustments.
• Maintain payroll records and documentation in accordance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Resolve payroll discrepancies and respond to employee payroll inquiries in a timely and professional manner.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations.
• Support audits related to payroll, benefits, and labor compliance.
• Monitor payroll risks and recommend process improvements to strengthen controls and accuracy.
• Stay current on payroll tax updates, wage and hour laws, and regulatory changes.

• Perform payroll reconciliations each pay period and support month‑end and year‑end close activities.
• Prepare payroll reports for management, accounting, and external partners as needed.
• Partner with Accounting to ensure proper posting of payroll entries to the general ledger.

• Work closely with HR on new hires, terminations, pay changes, benefits, and employee data accuracy.
• Communicate proactively with internal teams to ensure timely submission of payroll‑related information.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, systems, and employee experience.

• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment.
• Solid understanding of payroll processing, payroll compliance, and internal controls.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Experience working with payroll systems; ADP experience strongly preferred.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field preferred.
• 3‑5+ years of payroll experience, including hands‑on payroll processing.
• Experience supporting payroll compliance, audits, and risk mitigation.
• ERP or payroll system experience with a strong understanding of process‑to‑system workflows;
  Advanced ADP payroll experience is preferred.
• Multi‑state payroll experience is preferred.