Senior Specialist, Payroll

GHJ is looking for a Senior Specialist, Payroll WHY we get up in the morning

At GHJ, we foster a flexible, entrepreneurial environment so our people achieve their personal and professional goals. Our success is driven by retaining the best, diverse talent. We invest in our people and technology to deepen firm expertise and fuel sustainable growth. And we partner with our clients locally and globally to deliver innovative solutions.

GHJ works side by side with business leaders and nonprofit organizations to deliver responsive, high-impact advisory, tax and accounting solutions that drive real results. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Buffalo, Denver, Orange County and San Jose and backed by our own dispersed workforce, GHJ meets clients where they are to help leaders achieve their strategic goals.

We are deeply committed to our core values of Bright Minds, Brave Hearts and Bold Actions and incorporate them into every aspect of our business. By living these values, GHJ measures success by the strength of our relationships, the quality of our impact and the integrity of our actions. The Firm’s independence allows us to make strategic choices to innovate, invest and evolve with purpose.

Ultimately, GHJ values operational excellence, financial discipline and the courage to prioritize sustainability over size.

The Senior Specialist, Payroll is responsible for accurate, timely and compliant execution of GHJ’s payroll operations. Reporting to the Manager, People Operations & Total Rewards, this role owns the day-to-day payroll processing and serves as GHJ’s subject matter expert for Dayforce Payroll and payroll tax administration. GHJ utilizes Dayforce as its HRIS and payroll platform and partners with PuzzleHR for managed payroll services.

This role requires someone with a strong grasp of the processes, controls and systems knowledge needed to accurately and effectively process payroll. This role requires someone who understands payroll beyond the mechanics of processing a payroll cycle. The Senior Specialist will be expected to identify and resolve discrepancies, understand how Dayforce configuration impacts payroll and taxation, navigate multi-state payroll requirements and partner with People, Finance, Dayforce and other external partners to resolve complex payroll issues.

• Partner with PuzzleHR to execute accurate and timely processing of bi-weekly payrolls for :300 employees and weekly payrolls for :10 people via Dayforce Payroll.
• Manage the full payroll cycle, including pre-processing audits, payroll calculations, preview review, reconciliation, final submission and post-payroll validation.
• Review and validate timekeeping, time-off, earnings, deductions and employee payroll data prior to payroll processing.
• Process employee pay changes, bonuses, commissions, retroactive pay, supplemental payments, deductions, and other payroll adjustments.
• Calculate and process separation pay and off-cycle payments accurately and in accordance with applicable state and federal requirements.
• Maintain employee payroll records, including pay changes, deductions, and direct deposit updates.
• Manage employee PTO/FTO and sick time balances and resolve discrepancies affecting payroll.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee inquiries, identifying root causes and implementing appropriate corrections.
• Maintain payroll calendars, procedures, controls and documentation to support consistent and accurate payroll processing.
• Annual compensation market analysis and review, including managing and updating internal compensation structure.
• Manage compensation portion of annual and…