Payroll Specialist

We are looking for a Payroll Specialist to support accurate and timely payroll operations for a large employee population in California. This is a contract position suited for a hands-on, detail-oriented payroll specialist who can step in quickly, work independently, and manage complex payroll activity with minimal ramp-up time. The ideal candidate brings strong technical payroll knowledge, experience with high-volume processing, and confidence working with non-exempt and piece-rate pay structures.Responsibilities:• Process end-to-end payroll for approximately 1,500 employees while maintaining accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with company policies and applicable regulations.• Manage multi-state payroll activities, including review of earnings, deductions, taxes, and other payroll inputs across a large workforce.• Use payroll systems to enter, audit, validate, and finalize payroll data, resolving discrepancies before payroll completion.• Review non-exempt employee pay records to ensure regular wages, overtime, and piece-rate compensation are calculated correctly.• Perform payroll reconciliations and verify changes such as new hires, terminations, pay adjustments, and benefit-related deductions.• Partner with internal teams to address payroll questions, investigate variances, and support smooth payroll execution during each cycle.• Maintain accurate payroll records and help ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour requirements.• Assist with payroll-related reporting and support ongoing process needs tied to day-to-day payroll operations.