Payroll Specialist

Job Title:
Payroll Specialist Job Description

The Payroll Specialist administers and oversees one or more payrolls in a high-volume, multi-entity, multi-state environment. This role ensures accurate and timely payroll processing, maintains payroll-related accounts within a complex accounting system, and supports executive compensation in partnership with the compensation team. The Payroll Specialist also manages 401(k) plan contributions and disbursements, prepares accounting schedules and reconciliations, and serves as a key resource for payroll policy information and employee inquiries.

In addition, this position contributes to process improvements, performance standards, and financial controls for the payroll function while leveraging Workday as the core payroll platform.

Responsibilities

• Administer and process one or more high-volume payrolls, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable regulations.
• Maintain payroll records and documentation, including voluntary deduction reports and tax-related filings.
• Process involuntary deductions such as levies and garnishments in accordance with legal requirements and company policies.
• Prepare accounting transactions, documents, schedules, exhibits, and summaries related to payroll activity.
• Reconcile payroll general ledger accounts to payroll control documents and ensure the accuracy of payroll-related accounts in a complex accounting system.
• Administer 401(k) plan contributions and disbursements, ensuring correct setup, processing, and reporting.
• Determine the need for new accounts or revisions to the payroll account structure to support evolving business and reporting requirements.
• Ensure accuracy and manage executive compensation transactions in partnership with the compensation team.
• Research and advise payroll staff on the appropriate accounting treatment of complex payroll transactions.
• Provide policy information and employee-specific payroll data to employees, managers, and internal stakeholders in a customer service capacity.
• Perform periodic internal audits of payroll processes and records, and prepare materials and documentation for internal or external audits as needed.
• Conduct training and education sessions for payroll staff, employees, and managers in both formal and informal settings.
• Collaborate with internal department representatives to resolve payroll issues and ensure clarity in processes and data exchanges.
• Contribute to setting performance standards, financial controls, and operational processes for the payroll group.
• Recommend and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, enhance accuracy, and improve the overall customer experience.
• Monitor industry trends, products, and information related to payroll and recommend enhancements or improvements to departmental practices.
• Provide input, evaluation, and performance assessment of other payroll staff as part of ongoing team development.
• Administer the company’s payroll system, including Workday, and manage associated interfaces, data feeds, and connections to other critical systems to support accurate payroll processing and reporting.
• Ensure alignment with and ability to perform all duties of a Payroll Analyst as business needs and workload dictate.

Essential Skills

• At least 1 year of payroll experience in a professional setting.
• Hands-on Workday payroll experience in a production environment (Workday experience is required).
• Demonstrated ability to process high-volume payrolls (1,000+ employees).
• Experience working with multi-entity payroll structures.
• Experience processing payroll across multiple states and understanding multistate payroll requirements.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax principles and compliance.
• Ability to reconcile payroll general ledger accounts…