Payroll Specialist

Description

Tess Gilmore is looking for a team oriented lead Payroll Specialist for her client here in the Rochester area. As the Payroll Specialist you will be responsible for accurately processing high‑volume payroll for a large employee population while ensuring full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. This role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong systems knowledge, and the ability to manage tight deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.

The Payroll Specialist serves as a key resource for employees, managers, and internal partners regarding payroll policies, deductions, taxes, and system functionality.

Key Responsibilities

+ Process end‑to‑end payroll for a large workforce (typically 300-1,000+ employees), ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with payroll laws and organizational policies.

+ Verify and audit timesheets, hours worked, overtime, PTO, shift differentials, and pay adjustments prior to payroll submission.

+ Review payroll reports, reconcile discrepancies, and proactively resolve errors before finalizing payroll.

+ Administer employee changes including new hires, terminations, garnishments, benefits deductions, tax changes, wage adjustments, and direct deposit updates.

+ Maintain accurate payroll records and support internal/external audits as needed.

+ Serve as the primary contact for payroll inquiries, delivering prompt and professional service to employees and managers.

+ Partner with HR, Finance, and department leaders to ensure data accuracy and support organizational initiatives.

+ Prepare and distribute payroll‑related reports, including labor hours, costing, and variance analysis.

+ Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage/hour laws, payroll tax regulations, and company policies.

+ Assist with year‑end processes including W‑2 review, reporting, and reconciliation.

For immediate and confidential consideration, apply today or contact Tess Gilmore with Robert Half's Rochester, NY branch directly!

Requirements

Qualifications

+ 3-5+ years of payroll experience; high‑volume or multi‑state payroll preferred.

+ Strong understanding of payroll laws, compliance requirements, and wage/hour regulations.

+ Strong Excel and data‑processing skills; ability to analyze and reconcile large datasets.

+ Excellent communication, customer service, and problem‑solving abilities.

+ High level of accuracy, organization, and confidentiality.

+ APA/Payroll Org certification (FPC or CPP) a strong plus.

Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.

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All applicants applying for U.S. job openings must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Benefits are available to contract/temporary professionals, including medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit  for more information.

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