Sr Payroll Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Payroll Specialist
Job Description

The Senior Payroll Specialist coordinates and oversees end-to-end processing for complex, multi-company and multi-state payrolls, including both on-cycle and off-cycle runs. This role guides payroll team members through daily processes, reviews and approves biweekly payroll, and manages specialized pay data such as expatriate compensation, stock equity, imputed income, and special bonus programs. The Senior Payroll Specialist ensures accurate tax calculation and reporting, maintains compliance with wage and benefit regulations, and partners closely with internal stakeholders and vendors to continuously improve payroll operations and resolve escalated issues.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and monitor end-to-end activities for on-cycle and off-cycle payroll processing across multiple companies and multiple states, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Guide payroll team members through payroll processes, serving as a subject matter expert and resource for complex issues.
• Review and approve biweekly payroll (including REE/ULG) on Mondays and Tuesdays, verifying regular pay and one-time payments for accuracy and compliance.
• Collaborate with internal and external cross-functional partners to execute and reconcile complex pay data inputs, including expatriate compensation, stock equity, payroll accounting, abandoned property, imputed income calculations, gross-ups, and special bonus programs.
• Monitor and resolve payroll issues reported by stakeholders or escalated by payroll team members, ensuring timely resolution and clear communication.
• Ensure payroll support resources and process documentation remain current, accurate, and effective for the team.
• Manage stock equity input and reconciliation for RSUs and non-qualified stock options, ensuring timely tax capture, reporting, and compliance.
• Perform routine review and validation of payroll tax calculations to confirm that taxes are accurately calculated, withheld, and reported within required timeframes.
• Prepare payroll-related reporting and develop regular auditing procedures to ensure compliance with tax, wage, and benefit reporting regulations.
• Oversee periodic reporting for Retirement Plans, Workers’ Compensation, and other required payroll-related reports.
• Research and monitor regulatory and legislative updates that impact payroll processes, and partner with leadership, vendors, and stakeholders to implement necessary changes.
• Work closely with the Payroll Tax and Compliance Analyst and the broader Payroll team to collaboratively monitor, interpret, and resolve ongoing tax and compliance updates.
• Assist the Payroll Lead with vendor oversight and management, ensuring outsourced services such as wage garnishment, unemployment claims, and tax filing meet compliance requirements and service-level agreements.
• Monitor vendor support trends and issues and escalate concerns to leadership for guidance and resolution.
• Identify process and practice gaps within payroll operations and collaborate with Business Analysts, Technical Support, and other team members to share insights and requirements for improvements or system enhancements.
• Provide backup support for payroll coordinators during busy periods, including creating OneNote termination documents, emailing earning statements for terminated employees, responding to Workers’ Compensation wage requests, and managing garnishment uploads and notarization.
• Maintain a strong customer service demeanor when interacting with employees, stakeholders, and vendors, ensuring professional and personable communication.
• Apply strong organizational and time management skills to handle high-volume payroll workloads and meet strict deadlines.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem-solving skills to proactively identify issues and implement effective solutions in payroll processes.

• 4–5+ years of high-volume payroll processing experience, preferably handling at least 1,600 employees and ideally 3,000+ employees, within a total headcount environment of approximately 6,000.
• Hands-on experience with ADP Workforce Now; experience with ADP Vantage, ADP Enterprise, or Payforce US is also highly relevant.
• Proven ability to process high-volume payroll for a workforce of approximately 6,000 employees, with direct experience managing payroll for at least 3,000 employees.
• Demonstrated experience with multi-state payroll, specifically including Oregon (OR) and California (CA).
• Strong knowledge of state payroll tax and compliance requirements, with the ability to interpret and apply local and federal payroll tax rules and regulations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including the ability to create and use Pivot Tables and VLOOKUP functions for payroll analysis and reconciliation.
• Experience working with Workday or similar HRIS systems in support of payroll processes.
• Ability to create and maintain clear process documentation for payroll procedures and workflows.
• Strong initiative and problem-solving skills, with the ability to independently troubleshoot and resolve complex payroll issues.
• Sense of urgency and ability to work effectively under tight deadlines in a high-volume environment.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills to prioritize tasks and manage multiple responsibilities concurrently.
• Personable and professional demeanor with a strong customer service focus when interacting with employees and stakeholders.
• High level of attention to detail to ensure accuracy in payroll calculations, tax reporting, and documentation.
• Effective communication skills and a collaborative mindset, with the ability to work as a team player within a payroll and cross-functional environment.

• Experience with UKG Dimensions or similar time and attendance systems.
• Additional multi-state payroll experience in New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ), Washington (WA), Oregon (OR), and California (CA).
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or other payroll-related certification.
• Experience working in a publicly traded company with associated reporting and compliance requirements.
• Experience managing payroll related to stock programs, including restricted stock units (RSUs) and non-qualified stock options.
• Familiarity with wage garnishment processing, unemployment claims, and outsourced tax filing services.
• Comfort working with auditing procedures and compliance reporting for Retirement Plans and Workers’ Compensation.
• Ability to adapt to regulatory and legislative changes and support the implementation of process updates.

This role is based in an office work environment with a hybrid schedule that typically includes four days in the office and one day working remotely each week. The Senior Payroll Specialist works extensively with payroll and HR technologies such as ADP Workforce Now (and potentially ADP Vantage, Enterprise, Payforce), Workday, Microsoft Excel, and UKG Dimensions or similar systems. The position involves regular collaboration with payroll team members, business analysts, technical support, and external vendors, requiring professional, personable communication and a strong customer service orientation. The work is deadline-driven and detail-focused, with a steady cadence of biweekly payroll processing, audits, and compliance reporting in a structured office setting.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Portland, OR.

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)

This is a hybrid position in Portland,OR.

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 30, 2026.

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® Platinum Award 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 ziprecruiter.com 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.