Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions. Accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing is essential to staff trust, regulatory compliance, and organizational integrity. The Payroll Specialist is responsible for the end-to-end processing of bi-weekly payroll and the management of the agency's HRIS and timekeeping systems. Working closely with Finance and Human Resources leadership, this role ensures payroll accuracy, maintains confidentiality, administers benefits and leave tracking, produces payroll reports, and provides timekeeping training to staff and supervisors. The Payroll Specialist upholds internal controls and serves as the organization's primary resource for payroll compliance, HRIS integrity, and staff certification tracking. Responsibilities Bi-Weekly Payroll Processing Confirm all new hires and staff changes are properly entered into the HRIS system before each payroll run. Send interim hours to supervisors and approvers for review prior to processing payroll. Confirm all timecards have been received and appropriately authorized. Perform a final review of reported hours for inconsistencies before submission. Submit payroll on time to meet direct deposit and paycheck distribution schedules. Obtain CFO approval of payroll transmission before release. Process additional payrolls as authorized by the Director of Human Resources. Provide an annual schedule of timecard submission deadlines to all staff. Payroll Reporting Maintain confidentiality of all payroll records at all times. Provide overtime reports comparing actual to budget by employee and by program on a regular basis. Confirm accuracy of workers compensation expense and cost center allocation. Provide additional reports and analyses as directed by Finance and HR leadership. Benefits, Leave, and Compliance Confirm retirement plan deductions in accordance with employee eligibility and enrollment. Coordinate employee benefit deductions during approved leaves of absence. Confirm accuracy of vacation and sick accruals in accordance with agency policy and employee classification. Ensure employees on approved leave do not continue to accrue sick or vacation hours. Coordinate processing and distribution of annual W-2s. Provide W-4 and state withholding forms to staff annually. Train staff and supervisors on how to check available vacation and sick balances. Provide analysis and reports on leave balances as requested. Assist with financial audits and examinations by regulatory agencies as needed. HRIS and Timekeeping Management Oversee HRIS capabilities to ensure the agency's information and reporting needs are met. Manage processes for completing verifications of employment, maintaining associated files, and following established protocols for final checks. Provide timekeeping training to new staff as part of new hire orientation. Provide specialized training to supervisors on timecard monitoring, approval processes, and time-off request procedures. Train supervisors on time clock use and timekeeping compliance. Train and maintain a designated backup for bi-weekly payroll processing. Attend training to maintain competency in HRIS, payroll, and timekeeping applications. Maintain current knowledge of IRS and California labor laws pertaining to payroll and benefits. Staff Certification and Records Tracking Track expiration dates for all required staff certifications and compliance items including CPR and first aid, physicals, vehicle insurance cards, and work authorization documents. Send monthly reminders when performance evaluations and certifications are due. Secondary Duties Support HR team members as needed to maintain high standards of service and operational continuity. Serve as backup to HR functions as needed. Attend HR department meetings, interdepartmental coordination meetings, and other agency meetings as directed. Perform additional duties as assigned by the Director of Human Resources. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, human resources, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience accepted. Minimum three years of recent experience in payroll processing required. Demonstrated experience working with HRIS and timekeeping systems required. Proficiency in ADP Workforce Now strongly preferred. Working knowledge of California and federal wage and hour laws, payroll tax requirements, and employment regulations. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for reconciliation, reporting, and data analysis. Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred. Skills Processes bi-weekly payroll for a large, multi-site organization accurately and on deadline without exception. Identifies and resolves discrepancies in timecards, pay records, and system data before they reach employees. Applies California and federal wage and hour laws consistently and accurately across all payroll functions. Manages HRIS data integrity and generates accurate reports for Finance and HR leadership. Delivers clear and effective timekeeping and payroll training to staff and supervisors at all levels. Manages multiple compliance deadlines simultaneously including payroll cycles, certification renewals, and audit requests. Communicates professionally in writing and verbally with employees, supervisors, and leadership on sensitive payroll matters. Maintains strict confidentiality and exercises sound judgment when handling employee and payroll information. Works independently with initiative and minimal supervision. Proficient in ADP Workforce Now, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, and Google Workspace. Mandatory Requirements Background Screening Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background checks as required per worksite. Drug and Alcohol Testing Candidates must pass pre-employment and ongoing drug and alcohol screenings in accordance with company policy. Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check For roles requiring driving, employment is contingent upon an acceptable driving record. Legal Eligibility to Work Candidates must provide proof of legal authorization to work in the US. Compliance with Company Policies and HIPAA standards All employees must comply with company policies, including safety, confidentiality, and conduct standards. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The employee is required to: walk and climb stairs; stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel, and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis; grasp, push, pull objects such as files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead; handle, finger, grasp and feel objects and equipment; reach with hands and arms; be mobile by moving oneself from place to place quickly and easily; repeat various motions with the wrists, hands, and fingers; be able to perform visual activities for (including, but not limited to) administrative and clerical tasks; ability to lift up to 25 lbs.; communicate, receive and exchange ideas, information by means of the spoken and written word; drive vehicles in and around Los Angeles County; be able to enter various buildings that may require climbing stairs; be periodically subjected to outside environmental conditions. The employee may work in proximity to service animals and emotional support animals; use a desktop and/or laptop computer; various office machines. Complete all required forms in personal writing. The employee may be in contact with individuals and families in crisis who may be ill, using alcohol and drugs, and who may not be attentive to basic personal hygiene, health and safety practices. The employee may experience a number of unpleasant sensory demands associated with the participants' use of alcohol and drugs, and lack of personal hygiene. The employee must be ready to respond quickly and effectively to many types of situations, including crisis situations and potentially hostile situations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate in an office setting. Sometimes work may become stressful when working under pressure or in crisis intervention. EEO: HTM (Hope the Mission) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age