Payroll Accountant

Job Description

Our client, a global player in the hospitality world, is looking for a Payroll Accountant to join their team as they continue to grow. The Payroll Accountant plays a critical role in ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across domestic and international populations. This role supports payroll processing, account reconciliations, payroll-related journal entries, tax and audit activities, and employee-facing issue resolution with a high degree of accuracy, confidentiality, and service orientation. It is a hybrid position, requiring 3 days per week in their downtown Chicago office.

Duties:

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• Process domestic and international payroll accurately and on schedule using ADP Comprehensive Services, ADP Celergo, and foreign payroll providers.
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• Prepare, review, and audit payroll reporting, including weekly, monthly, quarterly, and year-end reports.
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• Prepare payroll-related journal entries and reconcile payroll, benefit, insurance, vacation, sick leave, and related liability accounts.
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• Maintain accurate payroll records, reconcile payroll registers to the general ledger, and ensure documentation is complete and compliant.
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• Administer payroll-related deductions, tax codes, garnishments, retirement plan deductions, FSA funding, Form 5500 reporting, and audit support.
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• Monitor timecard compliance, enforce payroll deadlines, communicate follow-up requirements to employees and supervisors, and calculate accurate vacation and time-off accruals.
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• Respond to payroll inquiries and coordinate with ADP, foreign payroll providers, and internal partners to resolve issues promptly.
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• Support compliance with payroll laws, company policies, and best practices while identifying opportunities to improve processes, controls, and reporting.
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Qualifications:

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• Bachelor’s degree and 3–5 years of payroll and general accounting experience, with international payroll experience preferred.
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• Apply payroll accounting knowledge, including journal entries, account reconciliations, payroll reporting, and ADP payroll systems.
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• Hands-on international payroll experience, including coordination with foreign payroll providers.
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• Demonstrate strong attention to detail, accuracy, organization, analytical judgment, and ability to meet deadlines while managing multiple priorities.
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• Maintain integrity, professionalism, discretion, accountability, and confidentiality with minimal supervision.
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• Communicate effectively and provide responsive customer service in a dynamic, team-oriented environment.
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• Use intermediate Excel skills to support payroll reporting, reconciliations, data review, and analysis.
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• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or a comparable enterprise accounting platform would be a nice plus
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• Experience with ADP Workforce Now and ADP Celergo preferred.
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• Experience supporting external audits, payroll compliance reviews, or year-end reporting processes.
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