Lead Payroll Specialist

Lead Payroll Specialist

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

The Lead Payroll Specialist is responsible for the end-to-end administration, compliance, reconciliation, governance, and strategic oversight of the company's payroll operations. Reporting directly to the HR Operations Manager, this role serves as the technical lead for payroll processing across a multi-state, multi-entity environment and ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery. This position owns payroll execution and internal controls, serves as the subject matter expert for payroll systems and taxation, leads year-end payroll strategy, and partners cross-functionally with HR, Finance, and external vendors to maintain regulatory compliance and financial integrity. The role requires strong analytical capability, systems fluency, leadership maturity, and disciplined execution.

This position will be based out of our corporate office in Cedar Park, TX

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration & Execution

• Process biweekly, multi-cycle, and off-cycle payrolls across multiple states and entities.
• Review and validate payroll inputs including earnings, deductions, taxes, garnishments, and adjustments.
• Manage final pay compliance and supplemental wage processing (bonuses, commissions, severance).
• Own and maintain the payroll calendar and processing governance framework.

Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and wage & hour laws.
• Lead year-end payroll strategy including W-2 preparation, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Monitor regulatory changes and partner with HR/Legal to mitigate compliance risk.
• Support nondiscrimination testing data validation and regulatory reporting as needed.

Reconciliation & Financial Controls

• Perform payroll general ledger reconciliations and coordinate funding requirements with Finance.
• Analyze payroll variances and resolve discrepancies with documented root cause analysis.
• Design, document, and maintain payroll internal controls and audit documentation.
• Support internal and external audit requests and ensure defensible fiduciary documentation.

Payroll Systems & Data Governance

• Serve as subject matter expert for payroll system configuration (e.g., ADP Workforce Now, Workday).
• Lead payroll-related system enhancements, integrations, testing, and vendor coordination.
• Maintain payroll SOPs, documentation, and data governance standards.
• Identify and implement automation and process improvement initiatives.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with HR to ensure accurate employee data changes impacting payroll.
• Coordinate with Benefits team to ensure proper deduction setup and reconciliation.
• Collaborate with Finance on accruals, reporting, and financial planning.

Scope Boundaries

This role does not administer benefits enrollment processing or leave case management. However, the role ensures accurate payroll deductions, proper tax treatment of benefits and leave payments, and correct financial reporting related to payroll.

Qualifications

• 57+ years of progressive payroll experience in a multi-state environment.
• Advanced knowledge of payroll tax regulations and compliance standards.
• Experience with payroll systems (e.g., ADP Workforce Now, Workday).
• Strong Excel proficiency (pivot tables, reconciliations, advanced formulas).
• FPC or CPP certification preferred.

Core Competencies

• Technical payroll expertise
• Analytical problem solving
• Compliance and risk awareness
• Systems thinking and process discipline
• Leadership maturity and mentorship capability
• Proactive communication and accountability

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.