Senior Payroll Specialist

On-Site in Louisville, KY
Direct Hire 

We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Senior Payroll Specialist to oversee accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing while serving as the primary internal expert for Paychex payroll administration.

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The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for managing the full-cycle payroll process for hourly, salaried, part-time, full-time, and multi-location employees within a healthcare environment. This role ensures payroll accuracy, regulatory compliance, proper timekeeping integration, and effective coordination with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and Paychex. The ideal candidate has strong payroll expertise, healthcare or senior care industry experience, and advanced knowledge of Paychex systems and payroll compliance requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Process bi-weekly, weekly, off-cycle, bonus, and adjustment payrolls through Paychex with a high degree of accuracy and timeliness.
• Review, audit, and validate payroll data, including hours worked, overtime, shift differentials, PTO, holiday pay, bonuses, garnishments, deductions, and retroactive adjustments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Paychex payroll processing, system configuration, issue resolution, reporting, and service escalations.
• Maintain accurate payroll records for employees across multiple healthcare locations, departments, and employment classifications.
• Partner with Human Resources to ensure accurate processing of new hires, terminations, status changes, wage changes, benefits deductions, leaves of absence, and direct deposit updates.
• Collaborate with Finance and Accounting to reconcile payroll registers, general ledger entries, payroll taxes, benefit deductions, and employer contributions.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, payroll tax requirements, healthcare employment regulations, and company policies.
• Monitor timekeeping data and work with managers to resolve missing punches, scheduling discrepancies, overtime concerns, and approval issues before payroll submission.
• Prepare payroll reports, audit summaries, labor cost reports, headcount reports, and other ad hoc reporting for leadership, Finance, HR, and Operations.
• Support year-end payroll activities, including W-2 review, payroll tax reconciliation, earnings verification, and coordination with Paychex.
• Respond to employee payroll questions professionally and confidentially, ensuring timely resolution of pay, deduction, tax, and timekeeping concerns.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, strengthen controls, reduce errors, and increase Paychex system utilization.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee payroll, compensation, benefits, and personnel information at all times.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 4–6 years of progressive payroll experience, preferably in healthcare, senior living, home health, long-term care, or a multi-location service environment.
• Hands-on experience processing payroll through Paychex required.
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, wage and hour laws, payroll tax requirements, garnishments, and benefit deductions.
• Experience with high-volume payroll processing for hourly and salaried employees.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including sorting, filtering, formulas, pivot tables, and payroll data validation.
• Ability to manage confidential information with professionalism, discretion, and accuracy.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, follow-through, and ability to meet strict payroll deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) preferred.
• Experience supporting payroll for senior care, assisted living, skilled nursing, behavioral health, home care, or other healthcare operations.
• Experience with multi-state payroll processing and multiple pay codes, shift differentials, and overtime rules.
• Knowledge of HRIS, timekeeping, benefits administration, and payroll accounting workflows.
• Experience supporting audits, payroll compliance reviews, and process improvement initiatives.