Payroll Specialist

JR Merit is a leading industrial and mechanical contractor delivering complex construction projects with a strong focus on safety, quality, and partnership. We're looking for an experienced Payroll Specialist to support the people behind that work by ensuring accurate, timely payroll for our union and non-union workforce.

If you're a payroll professional who enjoys ownership, complex payroll work, and collaborating with teams across the business, we'd love to connect with you.

At JR Merit, you'll be part of a team that supports complex industrial construction projects and the people who make them happen. This role offers the opportunity to own meaningful payroll work, partner closely with office and field teams, and contribute to a company that values accuracy, accountability, and taking care of its employees and their families.

• Own accurate and timely full-cycle payroll processing for JR Merit's union and non-union workforce, helping ensure employees are paid correctly and on schedule.
• Maintain reliable payroll records, including pay rates, taxes, deductions, benefits, union classifications, and job cost allocations, to support compliance and clean reporting.
• Partner with employees, field teams, and internal departments to review timekeeping records, resolve discrepancies, and strengthen payroll accuracy.
• Prepare certified payroll reports, union reports, fringe benefit reporting, and related compliance documentation that support complex industrial construction projects.
• Help protect the business by supporting prevailing wage, collective bargaining agreement, and payroll regulatory compliance.
• Manage payroll tax activities, garnishments, year-end reporting, and W-2 processing to ensure timely and accurate employee and agency reporting.
• Reconcile payroll, labor, tax, and job cost data to support accurate financial reporting and informed decision-making.
• Contribute to payroll audits, reporting, system maintenance, and process improvement initiatives that make payroll operations more efficient and effective.

• 5+ years of payroll experience, ideally in construction, industrial contracting, public works, or a union environment.
• Hands-on experience processing payroll for both union and non-union employees.
• Familiarity with certified payroll, prevailing wage requirements, payroll taxes, garnishments, and labor compliance regulations.
• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with payroll reports, reconciliations, and detailed data.
• A detail-oriented, organized, and confidential approach to payroll work.

• Experience with Viewpoint/Vista.
• CPP or FPC certification.
• Experience with multi-state payroll and union trust reporting.

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage paid 100% by JR Merit for employees and eligible dependents
• 401(k) with company match
• Discretionary merit bonus opportunities
• Paid holidays, including a floating holiday
• PTO program
• Long-term disability coverage
• Employee Assistance Program
• Work is generally performed while standing or sitting, in an office environment, with a computer and telephone.
• At times, work may be performed at a job site where additional training, certification(s), and clearances may be needed to comply with jobsite requirements.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds.
• This position has regular contact with internal office and field staff, Operations, Project Management, Executive Leadership, customers, unions, auditors, agencies, third-party partners, and vendors.
• This is a full-time onsite position based at the corporate headquarters in Vancouver, WA. Forty hours per week is required, with additional…