Payroll Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are:

West Yost is a water resource management and engineering firm focused exclusively on water. Since our founding in 1990, we have partnered with public agencies including cities, counties, utilities, and water districts to plan, design, and deliver water, wastewater, and stormwater solutions that support safe, reliable, and resilient communities.

Our team of more than 265 professionals brings together expertise in groundwater, water supply, treatment, infrastructure, recycled water, stormwater, construction management, and operations technology. We support projects from early planning and permitting through design and construction and complement our engineering services with program management and public outreach to help clients move work forward and engage their communities.

We are proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work®, and to be recognized among Fortune’s® Best Workplaces in Consulting and Professional Services from 2023 to 2025, as well as a top-ranked firm in the AEC Advisors Diversity Index. At West Yost, we are committed to being the water firm of choice for our clients and our team, advancing water resources for future generations through strong partnerships, practical solutions, and a shared commitment to quality.

Pay Rate Range: $42hr- $45hr.  Based on our Sacramento, CA office location.  (West Yost uses geographic salary differentials that would apply for candidates in other regions). 

Status: Full-time, Non-Exempt

Location(s): Sacramento, CA  ( ).

This is a Hybrid role with 3 days in the office and 2 days remote.

Payroll Specialist

Job Function

The Payroll Lead is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the payroll process, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and timely execution of payroll operations. This role performs the day-to-day payroll functions, prepares payroll documentation, and works closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors to manage payroll systems and reporting. This position performs and manages prevailing wage reporting, assists with payroll audits, and year-end payroll activities.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Payroll Review & Processing

• Review and approve employee data changes in payroll system.
• Enter and/or review employee updates entered in Deltek (Accounting System).
• Process bi-weekly and weekly payrolls for review, as needed.
• Perform the first-level review of bi-weekly and weekly payrolls.
• Prepare payroll recap reports highlighting payroll changes and anomalies.
• Collaborate with payroll team for corrections and coordinate final reviews as needed.
• Assist with maintaining internal control processes for payroll team for payroll generation and other payroll team assignments.
• Respond to employee payroll questions and requests.

1. Tax and Compliance

• Process employee tax withholding updates within the payroll system.
• Assist with quarterly payroll tax filings prepared by the payroll provider.
• Assist with state payroll reporting and correspondence.
• Maintain employee payroll records and supporting documentation.
• Ensure payroll records are complete and audit-ready.

1. Prevailing Wage Oversight

• Maintain Prevailing Wage (PW) rate schedules for WY Inspectors.
• Process weekly uploads for WY Inspectors to the DIR (Department of Industrial Relations).
• Track prevailing wage requirements for subcontractors on active projects.
• Review certified payroll reports for completeness prior to management review.

1. Accounting Interface

• Assist and/or review payroll journal entries in Deltek.
• Maintain payroll reconciliations and supporting documentation.
• Assist with payroll-related reporting requests.

1. Reporting & Audits

• Assist with preparation of quarterly census reports.
• Assist with the annual Workers’ Compensation audit.
• Assist with payroll year-end processing and reconciliation.
• Coordinate with HR to schedule any additional year-end payroll runs.
• Maintain payroll files and documentation for audits.

Qualifications

Required Education and/or Experience

• A minimum of 3 years of related experience

Preferred Education and/or Experience

• Experience in Certified Payroll and CA Prevailing Wage processes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Flexibility and ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and collaborate with teammates in a fast-paced environment
• Self-motivated, well-organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to handle confidential information
• Proficiency with payroll software

Travel Requirements

*This position may require travel to other offices and/or client offices.

A Little About the West Yost Life

You will experience many opportunities to grow and develop professionally with your colleagues through collaborative in-person work experience, knowledge sharing, and mentorship opportunities. We also offer hybrid and flexible work schedules to our employees to help promote and encourage a healthy work/life balance.  All of our team members have access to local and company-wide events, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workgroup, Culture Workgroup, Wellness Workgroup, book clubs, charitable giving and community service, firm-wide resources, peer groups (young professionals & middlers group), and mentorship and leadership programs.  We support and foster your career success and encourage you to be in control of your future with us.

At West Yost, we make space for connection across the firm. Each month, we hold an all-hands meeting that bring together team members from every location, including those working remotely, to stay aligned and engaged. Individual sectors and teams also hold their own monthly meeting. At the local level, our offices host gatherings, from camping trips and river rafting to community events and celebrations.

Once a year, we come together in person for our Annual All Staff event, a firmwide experience focused on learning, networking, and building relationships across teams. That evening, we continue our longest-standing tradition, the Duck Dinner, where West Yosters are encouraged to bring a guest and enjoy a night of great food, connection, and entertainment.

We work hard, and we place equal value on having fun.

Our commitment to quality begins with our hiring practices. We employ the most talented team members in our industry from all backgrounds. We are highly selective of the individuals we choose to represent the firm, seeking only those individuals whose technical abilities and commitment to client service matches our vision for excellence.  We are dedicated to our number one asset, our employees.  Because we are employee-owned, we are responsible for and rewarded by our own success. Come to West Yost where, with our support, you’ll do the best work of your life.

Standard Benefits:

We provide a comprehensive array of valuable benefits to protect your health, your family, and your way of life. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, health saving accounts (with West Yost contribution), paid vacation, paid sick leave and holidays, two employee assistance programs, travel assistance program, 401(k) profit sharing with employer match, leaves of absence with additional supplemental paid time off, parental leave, life and AD&D insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and even pet insurance.

Other Unique Benefits:

You’ll be provided with support in on-going education through our 529 college savings plan/student loan repayment program, tuition reimbursement, paid professional memberships, paid training, and Leadership Academy programs. You’ll be recognized for your contributions at West Yost through milestone anniversary benefits, peer to peer recognition programs, the potential for employee stock ownership, annual monetary and paid time off bonuses, performance-based bonus eligibility, merit increase eligibility, and employee referral bonuses. We also offer a wellness reimbursement.

West Yost Associates is an Affirmative Action Participant EOE/M/F/D/V. West Yost Associates provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.)

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.