Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist

Location: Brentwood, TN (Onsite)

We're seeking an experienced Payroll Specialist to manage end-to-end payroll operations for approximately 1,000 employees across the United States and Canada. This role supports a multi-site manufacturing organization and is responsible for processing weekly and biweekly payroll while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and an exceptional employee experience.

This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll professional who enjoys owning the payroll process, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and takes pride in delivering accurate, timely payroll with a high level of confidentiality.

What You'll Do

• Process weekly and biweekly payroll for approximately 1,000 employees across multiple U.S. and Canadian locations using UKG Pro .
• Review and validate timekeeping data from UKG Pro Workforce Management (formerly UKG Dimensions/Kronos) prior to payroll processing.
• Audit payroll for accuracy, research discrepancies, and resolve payroll issues before final submission.
• Analyze payroll trends and investigate significant variances in hours, earnings, or labor costs.
• Partner with Accounting to reconcile payroll and provide supporting reports.
• Maintain employee payroll records, including new hires, terminations, transfers, promotions, and compensation changes.
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries and resolve issues in a timely, professional manner.
• Prepare payroll reports for Finance, HR, and leadership as needed.
• Support quarter-end and year-end payroll activities, including U.S. W-2 and Canadian T4/RL-1 processing.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and Canadian payroll regulations, including garnishments, multi-state tax requirements, Records of Employment (ROEs), and payroll remittances.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, plant managers, and supervisors to ensure payroll deadlines are met and employee information remains accurate.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of payroll processing experience in a high-volume environment.
• Experience processing multi-state U.S. payroll ; Canadian payroll experience is strongly preferred.
• Hands-on experience with UKG Pro and UKG Pro Workforce Management (Dimensions/Kronos) .
• Strong understanding of payroll tax regulations, garnishments, and payroll compliance.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple payroll cycles and deadlines independently.
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential employee and compensation information.
• Strong communication and customer service skills with the ability to partner effectively across HR, Finance, and Operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), or Canadian Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP).
• Experience supporting payroll in a manufacturing or multi-site environment.
• Experience with acquisitions, employee integrations, or payroll system implementations.

Why You'll Love This Opportunity

This is a highly visible role within a growing manufacturing organization where you'll have ownership of the payroll function and work alongside collaborative HR and Finance teams. If you're looking for a position where your expertise, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills will make a meaningful impact, we'd love to hear from you.