Senior Payroll Specialist

Senior Payroll Support Location: Houston TX. 77002 (Downtown Houston, contractors are responsible for their own parking arrangements and associated costs) Duration: 4 months and Possibility of Extension Job Summary: Under general supervision, the Senior Payroll Specialist independently performs accurate, timely payroll processing, resolves complex payroll issues, and supports end-to-end daily and weekly payroll operations in compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements. Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and all other duties assigned. Understand and execute full On-Cycle (end-to-end) weekly and biweekly payroll processing for approximately 60,000 U.S. multi-state salaried and hourly employees, ensuring accurate validation, reconciliation, HSDL loads, special transactions and payments, and third-party files and funding. Process Regular and Mass Off-Cycle payrolls, ensuring pays are entered and calculated accurately, properly approved, and processed in accordance with established payroll policies and schedule. Process payroll banking transactions, including stop payments, direct deposit rejects, and reversals, ensuring timely payment and/or resolution. Run, prepare, and format reports to evaluate and analyze data accuracy, identify discrepancies, and support payroll reconciliation and audits. Research and resolve general inquiries in a timely, accurate, and professional manner, ensuring issues are addressed in accordance with payroll policies and service expectations. Work collaboratively with payroll team members and cross-functional partners to ensure service commitments are met, issues are resolved in a timely manner, and payroll operations are effectively supported. Work with applicable suppliers and vendors as required to address issues, coordinate resolutions, and ensure timely and accurate completion of payroll-related activities. Identifies opportunities for process improvement related to reconciliation, controls, efficiency, and accuracy that align with departmental and organizational goals. Confidentiality: Position follows prescribed rules and procedures to ensure security of information when handling/dealing with various Payroll functions and must use discretion to determine what components may be disclosed and to whom within established policy or procedures. The position is solely responsible for the employees' payroll. As such, significant care must be taken relative to confidential information, such as court orders or other payments/withholdings. Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the qualifications necessary to perform the job Education and Experience Required: Education: Associate's or Bachelor's Degree (accredited) in Accounting, Human Resources or similar area of study, or in lieu of degree, High School Diploma or GED (accredited and 4 years of relevant work experience). Experience: 5+ years' multi-state payroll experience, and 3 years of Oracle HCM Cloud experience. (However, will consider 2+ years Payroll Processing experience, and 0 years of Oracle HCM Cloud experience) Certificate, Licenses, Registrations or Other Requirements Preferred: Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) Other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities Required: Maintain consistent attendance and punctuality Self-starter and team player; able to work both collaboratively and independently with minimal supervision Effective interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) with a consistently positive attitude Strong attention to detail and accuracy, combined with analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills Effectively prioritized workload and tasks to meet daily payroll deadlines Exceptional organizational and time-management skills Flexibility to adjust quickly to unexpected demands and changes without compromising quality Ability to manage sensitive information confidentially Provide excellent customer service to employees and stakeholders Excel Skills including vlookup, pivot tables, data manipulation and analysis Knowledge of Oracle HCM Cloud, Service Now and UKG Timekeeper Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. Work Environment: Listed below are key points regarding environmental demands and work environment of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job Required to use motor coordination with finger dexterity (such as keyboarding, machine operation, etc.) most of the workday Required to exert physical effort in handling objects less than 30 pounds rarely