Payroll Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

We are looking for a Payroll Specialist to support payroll operations for a school district environment in Downey, California. This Long-term Contract opportunity is ideal for someone who can combine payroll expertise with strong collaboration across HR, finance, IT, and vendor partners. The person in this role will help improve payroll processes, maintain compliance, and provide ongoing support for payroll system performance and user adoption.

Responsibilities:
• Partner with district leaders and cross-functional teams to gather payroll needs and translate them into practical system solutions.
• Guide payroll system implementation activities, including setup, workflow alignment, and issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle.
• Perform system configuration, testing, and troubleshooting to ensure payroll functions operate accurately and efficiently.
• Oversee data conversion tasks by validating records, reconciling discrepancies, and confirming payroll information is complete and reliable.
• Create user guides, reference materials, and training sessions to help payroll staff and end-users work effectively within the system.
• Act as the primary point of coordination between the district and external software providers to address technical and functional concerns.
• Monitor payroll practices for alignment with applicable regulations, internal policies, and reporting standards.
• Deliver ongoing post-launch support by resolving system problems, recommending improvements, and assisting with enhancements as business needs evolve.• Hands-on experience in payroll administration with a strong understanding of payroll processing and compliance requirements.
• Background working with payroll and accounting platforms such as ADP Workforce Now, Ceridian, Dayforce, or similar systems.
• Knowledge of accounting operations, auditing practices, and benefit-related payroll functions.
• Experience supporting data validation, reconciliation, and accuracy checks in payroll or financial systems.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with HR, finance, IT, and external vendors in a structured organizational environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to test, troubleshoot, and improve payroll workflows.
• Comfortable developing training materials and guiding users through new payroll processes and system functionality.