Payroll Admin

Job Description

Job Description

Payroll Specialist

Location: Downtown Madison, WI (Hybrid: 1-2 Days In Office Per Week)

Help Build the Payroll Function at a High-Growth Startup

Are you a payroll professional who thrives in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments? Do you enjoy creating structure, improving processes, and helping organizations scale? Our rapidly growing organization in downtown Madison is looking for a Payroll Specialist to take ownership of payroll operations and play a key role in building best practices as the company continues its exciting growth trajectory.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys wearing multiple hats, solving problems independently, and helping establish processes where they may not yet exist.

What You'll Do

• Process end-to-end payroll for employees across multiple states
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local regulations
• Manage payroll audits and payroll-related reconciliations
• Perform payroll general ledger reconciliations and partner closely with accounting teams
• Reconcile payroll data within QuickBooks and ensure accurate financial reporting
• Maintain employee payroll records, deductions, garnishments, benefits, and tax withholdings
• Assist with quarter-end and year-end payroll activities, including W-2 preparation and payroll tax reporting
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, employee inquiries, and compliance issues
• Collaborate with HR and Finance to improve payroll workflows and reporting
• Help develop, document, and implement payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls
• Identify opportunities for automation and process improvement as the organization scales
• Support HRIS and payroll system administration, data integrity, and reporting

Why This Opportunity?

• Hybrid schedule with only 1-2 days per week onsite in downtown Madison
• Opportunity to help shape and build the payroll function
• High visibility within a growing leadership team
• Fast-paced, collaborative startup culture
• Ability to make a significant impact as the company continues to scale
• Competitive compensation and benefits package

Ideal Candidate

This role is perfect for someone who doesn't need a playbook handed to them. We're looking for a payroll professional who can confidently navigate ambiguity, establish processes from the ground up, improve efficiencies, and become a trusted resource as the organization continues to grow.

If you're excited by the opportunity to build something rather than simply maintain it, we'd love to hear from you.

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years of payroll experience
• Experience processing multi-state payroll required
• Experience working in a rapidly growing or startup environment strongly preferred
• BambooHR experience preferred
• Experience with QuickBooks payroll reconciliations preferred
• Strong understanding of payroll tax regulations, wage and hour compliance, and payroll reporting requirements
• Experience handling garnishments, benefits deductions, PTO tracking, and employee changes
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction
• Comfortable operating in an evolving environment where processes are still being built
• Process-oriented mindset with a desire to create efficiencies and establish best practices
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification is a plus but not required