Sr Payroll Specialist

Job Title: Senior Payroll Specialist
Job Description
The Senior Payroll Specialist coordinates and oversees end-to-end payroll processing for multi-company, multi-state payrolls in a high-volume environment. This role reviews and approves on- and off-cycle payrolls, manages complex pay inputs, and ensures accurate tax and regulatory compliance. The Senior Payroll Specialist serves as a key resource and guide for payroll team members, partners closely with internal and external stakeholders, and contributes to continuous improvement of payroll processes and controls.
Responsibilities

• Coordinate and monitor end-to-end activities for on-cycle and off-cycle payroll processing for multi-company, multi-state payrolls, providing guidance to payroll team members throughout the process.
• Review and approve biweekly payrolls, including onetime payments, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with internal and external cross-functional partners to execute and reconcile complex pay data inputs such as expatriate pay, stock equity, payroll accounting, abandoned property, imputed income calculations, gross-ups, and special bonus programs.
• Monitor and resolve payroll issues reported by stakeholders and escalated by payroll team members, ensuring timely resolution and clear communication of outcomes.
• Ensure payroll support resources, standard operating procedures, and process documentation remain current, accurate, and effective.
• Manage stock equity input and reconciliation for RSUs and non-qualified stock options, ensuring timely capture and reporting of associated taxes.
• Perform routine review and validation of payroll tax calculations to confirm accurate tax withholding and timely reporting.
• Prepare payroll-related reports and develop regular audit procedures to ensure compliance with tax, wage, and benefit reporting regulations.
• Oversee recurring reporting for Retirement Plans, Workers' Compensation, and other required periodic reports.
• Research and interpret regulatory and legislative updates that affect payroll processes, and partner with the Payroll Manager, vendors, and other stakeholders to implement necessary updates.
• Collaborate closely with the Payroll team and Payroll Tax and Compliance Analyst to monitor and resolve ongoing regulatory and system updates.
• Assist the Payroll Lead with vendor oversight and management, including monitoring compliance and service-level agreements for outsourced services such as wage garnishments, unemployment claims, and tax filing.
• Identify and escalate support trends and recurring issues to leadership for guidance and resolution.
• Identify process and practice gaps and work with Business Analysts, Technical Support, and other team members to share insights and define requirements for process improvements or system enhancements.
• Serve as backup to payroll coordinators during busy periods, including creating termination documents in OneNote, emailing earnings statements for terminated employees, responding to Workers' Compensation wage requests, and handling garnishment uploads and notarization.

Essential Skills

• 4-5+ years of high-volume payroll processing experience, including responsibility for at least 3,000 employees within a total headcount of approximately 6,000.
• Hands-on experience with ADP Workforce Now; experience with ADP Vantage, Enterprise, or Payforce in the US is also acceptable.
• Proven experience processing multi-state payrolls, specifically including Oregon (OR) and California (CA).
• Strong knowledge of state payroll tax requirements and payroll tax compliance.
• Solid understanding of local and federal payroll tax rules and regulations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including Pivot Tables and VLOOKUP functions.
• Experience with Workday for HR or payroll-related processes.
• Demonstrated ability to create, maintain, and use process documentation effectively.
• Strong initiative and problem-solving skills, with the ability to independently identify issues and drive resolutions.
• Demonstrated sense of urgency and ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Personable and professional demeanor, with a customer service-oriented approach.
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy in all aspects of payroll work.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative, team-oriented mindset.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience using UKG Dimensions for timekeeping or workforce management.
• Payroll experience covering additional states such as New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ), Washington (WA), in addition to Oregon (OR) and California (CA).
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or other payroll-related certification.
• Experience working in a publicly traded company environment.
• Experience managing payroll components related to stock compensation and equity programs.

Work Environment
This role is based in an office workspace with a hybrid schedule that typically includes four days in the office and one day working remotely. The position involves regular use of payroll and HR systems such as ADP Workforce Now (and potentially Vantage, Enterprise, or Payforce), Workday, and possibly UKG Dimensions, as well as frequent use of Microsoft Excel and other standard office productivity tools. The work environment is fast-paced and deadline-driven, particularly around payroll cycles and reporting periods, and requires a professional office presence and demeanor.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Portland, OR.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $35.00 - $44.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Portland,OR.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Jun 4, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® double diamond winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.