Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist Join the Team! Is technology your passion? Do you want to work with smart, forward-thinking individuals? Do you want to grow in a career you love? At Align, our professionals are the key to our success. We don't just hire talent, we invest in exceptional people who are forward-thinking, results-driven, and passionate about what they do. We're a group of tech-savvy professionals who are motivated by making an impact. Our culture is one of unbounded opportunity that celebrates the passions, skills and ideas of our teamwork hard, play hard, be smart! We believe great communities lead to great companies. That's why we offer a dynamic workplace where you feel inspired, engaged and innovative. We offer professionals opportunities to train in the leading technologies, make an impact within the industry and acquire valuable new skills whether on client sites or in one of our regional offices. Align is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Payroll Specialist to join our Accounting team. This role is responsible for owning and executing end-to-end, bi-weekly payroll for a multi-state workforce of 260+ employees. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on payroll processing experience, knowledge of payroll laws and requirements, and the ability to independently manage day-to-day payroll processing, reporting, and reconciliations. This is a hybrid role based out of our Iselin, NJ office. The Payroll Specialist will work in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and remotely three days per week. This is a full-time, non-exempt position offering $85,000 to $100,000 annually, plus benefits and paid time off. Key Responsibilities Own and process end-to-end, bi-weekly payroll for a multi-state workforce of 260+ employees Maintain employee payroll records, including changes to pay, location, status, taxes, deductions, and garnishments Resolve payroll discrepancies and process corrections, manual checks, voids, and reversals as needed Process employee overtime, benefits deductions, garnishments, and expense reimbursements Respond to employee and management payroll inquiries Prepare payroll reporting and perform quarterly General Ledger vs. payroll system reconciliations Prepare and journalize bi-weekly payroll entries Support quarterly and year-end payroll processes, including W-2 verification and reporting Support insurance and Workers' Compensation audits Coordinate with ADP on payroll-related issues and initiate new-state registrations as needed Work with ADP HRIS data and Time & Attendance and ConnectWise time-entry data as part of payroll processing Work with employee data from onboarding and benefits systems as needed Maintain security and confidentiality of payroll and employee information Qualifications Required 5+ years of hands-on payroll processing and administration experience Experience owning end-to-end payroll for a multi-state workforce Hands-on experience with a payroll processing system; ADP Workforce Now experience is strongly preferred Strong knowledge of payroll laws, tax compliance, deductions, and garnishments Understanding of exempt and non-exempt employee classifications and overtime calculations Experience with payroll reporting and reconciliations Proficiency in Microsoft Excel Strong attention to detail, organization, and ability to manage multiple priorities Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work independently Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive payroll and employee information Preferred Experience creating and running standard and custom payroll reports Experience with ADP Workforce Now, including familiarity with ADP HRIS and exposure to Onboarding and Benefits modules Knowledge of Time & Attendance processes and employee time-entry data Experience with employee benefits and related payroll deductions Experience with expense management systems Experience supporting Workers' Compensation or insurance audits Experience performing General Ledger payroll reconciliations To support a fair, consistent, and high-quality hiring experience, some interviews may be recorded. These recordings help our team focus fully on the conversation at hand, rather than note-taking, and allow us to better evaluate and improve our recruitment process. Recordings are used solely for internal purposes such as training, quality assurance, and process improvement. Candidates will be informed in advance and asked to provide consent before any recording takes place. Tier 2 Benefits and Perks: Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options 401(k) plan with a dollar-for-dollar company match at 3% up to an annual maximum of $5k. Complimentary ClassPass membership to support your health and wellness goals Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) Company-paid holidays Cellphone Reimbursement Program Floating Holiday to celebrate a day that is meaningful to you Pre-tax commuter benefits, where applicable Employee wellness programs, events, and team-building activities Employee referral program Align is a premier global provider of technology infrastructure solutions. Align specializes in designing and deploying technology infrastructure solutions from the data center to the desktop as well as providing managed IT services for clients. Our professional services team, which includes Data Center Solutions, provide strategic consulting, design, project management, engineering, implementation and support. Our best-in-class Managed Services team provides IT services and cybersecurity advisory for clients within the Alternative Investment industry. Align is a Microsoft Tier 1 Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP) and Gold Partner. Our client centric approach and passion for driving IT innovation has enabled us to provide tailored solutions and business transformations for over three decades. Leading firms have relied on Align to provide forward-thinking technology strategies that support their current and future business needs. Our teams have flawless track records of delivering technical solutions and have established long-standing relationships with an impressive client list of both Global 1000 and SMB clients. We work across a diverse list of industries including financial services, life sciences (pharmaceutical and health care), retail, technology, media and telecommunications.