Sr. Payroll Specialist (Contract)

Sr Payroll Specialist

Join the best team in sport and spirit

At Varsity Brands, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed and every educator wants to make a difference. It takes a team to make a real impact, and through our two divisions – BSN SPORTS and Varsity Spirit – and our network of 6,000+ employees and independent representatives, we are proud to partner with a wide range of educational institutions and club and professional sports to transform the student journey in SPORT and SPIRIT.

Work type: 12-month contract, full-time hours

Location: Onsite - Farmers Branch, TX

Hours: This is an exempt position with a standard working schedule of 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Potential for overtime hours as needed.

How you will make an impact:

Reporting to the Director of Payroll, the Sr Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing accurate and compliant payroll for Varsity Brands employees across multiple pay frequencies. This role partners closely with the broader Varsity Brands Payroll and HR Operations teams to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while delivering a seamless pay experience through Workday Payroll.

What you will do:

• Working knowledge of Workday Payroll configuration, pay components, earnings, deductions, retro calculations, and payroll integrations, while maintaining working knowledge of legacy ADP WFN processes.
• Process weekly, biweekly, and semi-monthly payrolls in Workday and ADP WFN, ensuring accurate calculation of wages, taxes, benefits deductions, and garnishments. Assist current payroll team with transition to Workday payroll with training and guidance. Support parallel processing and historical reconciliation within ADP Workforce Now (WFN) as needed during transition.
• Ensure payroll data integrity through audit controls, exception reporting, and documented payroll procedures.
• Review and validate inbound time data from UKG/Kronos and ADP Time and Attendance, ensuring proper integration into Workday Payroll and ADP WFN.
• Perform payroll audits including pre- and post-payroll validations, retroactive adjustments, off-cycle payrolls, and balancing of payroll registers.
• Partner with HR, Benefits, and PSC teams to ensure accurate employee data, pay changes, new hires, terminations, and leave-related pay impacts are reflected correctly in Workday and ADP WFN.
• Maintain compliance with Wage and Hour laws, multi-state tax regulations, and company payroll policies.
• Process and reconcile tax filings and withholding payments.
• Administer employee garnishments, tax levies, and child support orders in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Support payroll accounting activities including GL interface validation, funding reports, and audit requests.
• Manage the Payroll inbox and provide exceptional customer service by responding to employee inquiries throughout the employee lifecycle.
• Identify and recommend process improvements leveraging Workday functionality, automation, and reporting capabilities.
• Create and analyze payroll reports using Workday reporting tools and advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, data validation, etc.).
• Support internal and external payroll audits, ensuring proper documentation and adherence to SOX and financial control requirements where applicable.

Qualifications:

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• High attention to detail and ability to manage confidential employee information with integrity and discretion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a strong customer service orientation.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and leveraging system capabilities to enhance payroll accuracy and efficiency.

Education/Experience

• Associate degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of payroll administration experience in a multi-state environment.
• Hands-on experience with Workday Payroll required; experience with ADP Workforce Now (WFN) strongly preferred.
• Experience processing multiple pay frequencies (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly).
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations, Wage and Hour law, garnishments, and unemployment reporting.
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, migrations, or integrations (Workday preferred).

Physical Requirements

The physical demands that are described as required are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This job operates in a professional office environment. Largely a sedentary role with some filing requiring the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bending or standing on a stool as necessary. The ability to sit or stand for long periods through meetings and while operating office equipment, PC's, laptop, telephone will be required.

Our values:

Service - We lead with heart. We champion community.

Passion - We love what we do. It fuels our purpose.

Integrity - We do what we promise. We own our actions and decisions.

Respect - We earn it by giving it. Because everyone deserves it.

Innovation - We never stop striving to be better. For ourselves and our community.

Transparency - We are committed to openness and honesty in everything we do.

Our benefits:

We are committed to putting you and your families first. For benefits eligible roles, we offer a variety of choices and costs as well as program enhancements that align with our responsibility to elevate the employee experience. Some of our offerings include:

• Comprehensive Health Care Benefits
• HSA Employer Contribution/ FSA Opportunities
• Wellbeing Program
• 401(k) plan with company matching
• Company paid Life, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability
• Generous My Time Off & Paid Holidays
• Varsity Brands Ownership Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Access to Financial Coaching and member-owned Credit Union
• St. Jude Partnership & Volunteer Opportunities
• Employee Perks including discounts on personal apparel and equipment!

Varsity Brands companies are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran's status, age or disability.