Payroll Specialist

JR Merit is a leading industrial and mechanical contractor delivering complex construction projects with a strong focus on safety, quality, and partnership. We’re looking for an experienced Payroll Specialist to support the people behind that work by ensuring accurate, timely payroll for our union and non-union workforce. If you’re a payroll professional who enjoys ownership, complex payroll work, and collaborating with teams across the business, we’d love to connect with you. Why JR Merit? At JR Merit, you’ll be part of a team that supports complex industrial construction projects and the people who make them happen. This role offers the opportunity to own meaningful payroll work, partner closely with office and field teams, and contribute to a company that values accuracy, accountability, and taking care of its employees and their families. What You’ll Do Own accurate and timely full-cycle payroll processing for JR Merit’s union and non-union workforce, helping ensure employees are paid correctly and on schedule. Maintain reliable payroll records, including pay rates, taxes, deductions, benefits, union classifications, and job cost allocations, to support compliance and clean reporting. Partner with employees, field teams, and internal departments to review timekeeping records, resolve discrepancies, and strengthen payroll accuracy. Prepare certified payroll reports, union reports, fringe benefit reporting, and related compliance documentation that support complex industrial construction projects. Help protect the business by supporting prevailing wage, collective bargaining agreement, and payroll regulatory compliance. Manage payroll tax activities, garnishments, year-end reporting, and W-2 processing to ensure timely and accurate employee and agency reporting. Reconcile payroll, labor, tax, and job cost data to support accurate financial reporting and informed decision-making. Contribute to payroll audits, reporting, system maintenance, and process improvement initiatives that make payroll operations more efficient and effective. Required Qualifications: 5+ years of payroll experience, ideally in construction, industrial contracting, public works, or a union environment. Hands-on experience processing payroll for both union and non-union employees. Familiarity with certified payroll, prevailing wage requirements, payroll taxes, garnishments, and labor compliance regulations. Strong Excel skills and confidence working with payroll reports, reconciliations, and detailed data. A detail-oriented, organized, and confidential approach to payroll work. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with Viewpoint/Vista. CPP or FPC certification. Experience with multi-state payroll and union trust reporting. JR Merit offers a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to support employees and their families: Medical, dental, and vision coverage paid 100% by JR Merit for employees and eligible dependents 401(k) with company match Discretionary merit bonus opportunities Paid holidays, including a floating holiday PTO program Long-term disability coverage Employee Assistance Program Work is generally performed while standing or sitting, in an office environment, with a computer and telephone. At times, work may be performed at a job site where additional training, certification(s), and clearances may be needed tocomply withjobsite requirements. Must be ableto lift up to 20 pounds. This position has regular contact with internal office and field staff, Operations, Project Management, Executive Leadership, customers, unions, auditors, agencies, third-party partners, and vendors. This is a full-time onsite position based at the corporate headquarters in Vancouver, WA. Forty hours per week is required, with additional hours as needed to meet payroll deadlines. Equal Opportunity / Aff… Employer: JR Merit, Inc. is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and it is our policy to provide equal opportunity to all people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected category. We are a background screening, drug-free workplace. JR Merit, Inc provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a job, please submit your request to View email address on click.appcast.io Work Authorization: JR Merit, Inc is a federal contractor which participates in E-Verify. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship. Notice to Staffing Agencies and Recruiters: JR Merit does not accept unsolicited resumes, profiles, or applications. Agencies and third-party recruiters are asked not to contact JR Merit employees to present candidates unless a prior signed agreement is in place. Any unsolicited resumes submitted will be considered property of JR Merit. Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans. #J-18808-Ljbffr