Senior Payroll Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Payroll Specialist

Position Summary

As a Payroll Specialist , your mission is to support the accurate, compliant, and timely processing. You will manage assigned payroll responsibilities with the precision and attention to detail required to ensure every associate is paid accurately and on time, every payroll cycle.

This role is responsible for processing timekeeping data, verifying employee pay records, handling routine payroll transactions, maintaining accurate documentation, and supporting the payroll team with the day-to-day activities that keep payroll operating smoothly.

Using HRIS and payroll platforms, exception-monitoring tools, and automated timekeeping integrations, the Payroll Specialist identifies data discrepancies, resolves routine issues proactively, and helps ensure each payroll cycle closes accurately and on schedule.

The Payroll Specialist serves as an important operational contributor to the payroll function. Attention to detail, reliability, confidentiality, and a strong commitment to accuracy are essential to protecting employee trust and maintaining payroll compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing & Data Verification

• Process assigned payroll transactions, including timekeeping data imports, pay rate updates, deduction changes, new hire setup, and termination processing.
• Verify payroll data against HRIS records before submitting information for payroll cycle approval.
• Review timekeeping reports and exception alerts for assigned employee populations.
• Identify missing time entries, overtime discrepancies, approval gaps, and other timekeeping issues.
• Coordinate with supervisors and HR to resolve discrepancies before the payroll cycle closes.
• Utilize HRIS and payroll platform tools to perform pre-payroll audits.
• Verify gross pay calculations, benefit deductions, garnishments, tax withholdings, and other payroll-related data before payroll is finalized and released.

Payroll Transactions, Documentation & Record Maintenance

• Process routine payroll transactions accurately and within established payroll cycle timelines.
• Process manual check requests, pay adjustments, garnishment orders, direct deposit updates, and other payroll changes.
• Maintain complete and accurate documentation for all payroll transactions.
• Maintain employee payroll records within the HRIS, ensuring tax elections, benefit deductions, pay rates, and direct deposit information are current and properly configured.
• Ensure payroll-related changes are entered within required processing windows.
• Support payroll compliance activities, including tax filing preparation, garnishment remittances, and year-end W-2 reconciliation.
• Provide accurate and organized payroll data to support Payroll Manager compliance and reporting requirements.

Employee Communication & Issue Resolution

• Respond to routine employee payroll inquiries regarding pay statements, deductions, direct deposits, tax withholdings, and other payroll-related matters.
• Provide accurate, professional, and timely responses to employee questions.
• Escalate complex, sensitive, or non-routine payroll issues to the Payroll Manager as appropriate.
• Document payroll discrepancies, correction steps, and resolution confirmations.
• Maintain organized records that support audit readiness and help prevent recurring payroll errors.

Process Improvement & Team Support

• Identify recurring data-entry errors, timekeeping issues, system configuration concerns, and other payroll processing trends.
• Communicate root-cause observations and practical recommendations to the Payroll Manager.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives designed to increase payroll accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.
• Contribute to payroll process documentation, checklists, and workflow improvements.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Success in this role will be measured through the following performance indicators:

• Payroll Transaction Accuracy: Percentage of payroll transactions processed without errors requiring correction.
• Timekeeping Exception Resolution: Percentage of discrepancies identified and resolved before payroll cycle close.
• Processing Timeliness: Completion of assigned payroll tasks within established payroll calendar deadlines.
• Employee Inquiry Resolution: Accuracy, professionalism, and timeliness of responses to employee payroll inquiries.
• HRIS Record Accuracy: Accuracy and completeness of employee payroll records and configurations.
• Documentation Completeness: Accuracy, organization, and retrievability of payroll transaction documentation.
• Adjustment Error Rate: Number of manual corrections required after payroll disbursement.

30/60/90-Day Success Expectations

First 30 Days

• Complete onboarding for HRIS payroll modules, timekeeping systems, payroll standard operating procedures, and payroll closing calendars.
• Become familiar with employee populations, active pay codes, common payroll transactions, and established payroll workflows.
• Build effective working relationships with the Payroll Manager, Payroll Accountant, HR Business Partners, and operations managers.
• Develop an understanding of payroll data flows, processing priorities, and escalation procedures.
• Process a full payroll cycle for assigned employee populations with appropriate guidance and demonstrate proficiency in data verification, exception resolution, and timely submission.

First 60 Days

• Independently manage the full Payroll Specialist workload for assigned employee populations, including timekeeping review, transaction processing, record maintenance, and employee inquiry response.
• Consistently complete assigned payroll responsibilities accurately and within established deadlines.
• Proactively use HRIS pre-payroll audit tools to identify and resolve discrepancies before payroll submission.
• Reduce the need for corrections during Payroll Manager final review.
• Identify at least one recurring data-entry, timekeeping, or payroll-processing issue and propose a practical improvement to the Payroll Manager.

First 90 Days

• Operate as a reliable and self-sufficient Payroll Specialist for assigned employee populations.
• Process payroll responsibilities with a high degree of accuracy, complete documentation, and minimal supervisory correction.
• Demonstrate measurable improvement in transaction accuracy, timekeeping exception resolution, or employee inquiry quality compared with the baseline established at the time of hire.
• Contribute at least one process improvement, such as an HRIS configuration recommendation, checklist enhancement, or timekeeping workflow improvement.
• Support the implementation of an improvement that helps reduce payroll errors or increase processing efficiency.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 2+ years of payroll processing experience , including timekeeping data management, payroll transaction processing, and employee record maintenance in a corporate HRIS environment.
• Experience using HRIS and payroll platforms such as UKG, ADP, Paylocity, Ceridian , or similar systems.
• Experience with payroll entry, timekeeping review, employee record updates, and payroll data verification.
• Strong attention to detail and numerical accuracy, with the ability to identify discrepancies and maintain accurate records under payroll cycle deadlines.
• Proficiency with HRIS payroll modules, timekeeping integration tools, and pre-payroll audit tools.
• Working knowledge of federal and multi-state payroll tax withholding requirements.
• Working knowledge of FLSA overtime rules, benefit deduction processing, and garnishment administration.
• Familiarity with payroll documentation standards, employee data privacy requirements, and basic payroll internal controls.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Microsoft Excel .
• Experience using collaboration and communication tools such as Microsoft Teams .
• Ability to manage multiple employee populations, concurrent payroll transactions, and timekeeping exception queues within tight payroll processing windows.
• Strong organizational, communication, problem-solving, and time-management skills.

Education

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent relevant payroll processing experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Additional Requirements

• Ability and willingness to adjust work schedules during payroll closing periods, tax deadlines, and year-end activities as needed.
• Flexible availability to support off-cycle payroll processing, urgent employee pay corrections, and compliance activities outside standard business hours when required.
• Ability to handle confidential employee payroll information with discretion and professionalism.
• Strong commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, compliance, and timely execution.

Adept HR is a Staffing Services assisting our clients with their staffing needs. We specialize in Temp to hire long term positions.

Company Description

Adept HR is a Staffing Services assisting our clients with their staffing needs. We specialize in Temp to hire long term positions.