Senior Payroll Specialist

On-Site in Louisville, KY
Direct Hire


We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Senior Payroll Specialist to oversee accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing while serving as the primary internal expert for Paychex payroll administration.

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The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for managing the full-cycle payroll process for hourly, salaried, part-time, full-time, and multi-location employees within a healthcare environment. This role ensures payroll accuracy, regulatory compliance, proper timekeeping integration, and effective coordination with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and Paychex. The ideal candidate has strong payroll expertise, healthcare or senior care industry experience, and advanced knowledge of Paychex systems and payroll compliance requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Process bi-weekly, weekly, off-cycle, bonus, and adjustment payrolls through Paychex with a high degree of accuracy and timeliness.
• Review, audit, and validate payroll data, including hours worked, overtime, shift differentials, PTO, holiday pay, bonuses, garnishments, deductions, and retroactive adjustments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Paychex payroll processing, system configuration, issue resolution, reporting, and service escalations.
• Maintain accurate payroll records for employees across multiple healthcare locations, departments, and employment classifications.
• Partner with Human Resources to ensure accurate processing of new hires, terminations, status changes, wage changes, benefits deductions, leaves of absence, and direct deposit updates.
• Collaborate with Finance and Accounting to reconcile payroll registers, general ledger entries, payroll taxes, benefit deductions, and employer contributions.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, payroll tax requirements, healthcare employment regulations, and company policies.
• Monitor timekeeping data and work with managers to resolve missing punches, scheduling discrepancies, overtime concerns, and approval issues before payroll submission.
• Prepare payroll reports, audit summaries, labor cost reports, headcount reports, and other ad hoc reporting for leadership, Finance, HR, and Operations.
• Support year-end payroll activities, including W-2 review, payroll tax reconciliation, earnings verification, and coordination with Paychex.
• Respond to employee payroll questions professionally and confidentially, ensuring timely resolution of pay, deduction, tax, and timekeeping concerns.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, strengthen controls, reduce errors, and increase Paychex system utilization.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee payroll, compensation, benefits, and personnel information at all times.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 4-6 years of progressive payroll experience, preferably in healthcare, senior living, home health, long-term care, or a multi-location service environment.
• Hands-on experience processing payroll through Paychex required.
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, wage and hour laws, payroll tax requirements, garnishments, and benefit deductions.
• Experience with high-volume payroll processing for hourly and salaried employees.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including sorting, filtering, formulas, pivot tables, and payroll data validation.
• Ability to manage confidential information with professionalism, discretion, and accuracy.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, follow-through, and ability to meet strict payroll deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) preferred.
• Experience supporting payroll for senior care, assisted living, skilled nursing, behavioral health, home care, or other healthcare operations.
• Experience with multi-state payroll processing and multiple pay codes, shift differentials, and overtime rules.
• Knowledge of HRIS, timekeeping, benefits administration, and payroll accounting workflows.
• Experience supporting audits, payroll compliance reviews, and process improvement initiatives.

By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.


EEO Notice


Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law.


Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io .


Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal .

Representation Notice


By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring's discussions with its Client, Highspring's understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly).

Privacy Notice


Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here .
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here .
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here .
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here .
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here .

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here ( ). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice


Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.