Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining precise reconciliation of all employee benefits. This role safeguards data integrity across payroll, HRIS, and benefits systems, resolves discrepancies, and supports compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The specialist partners closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors to deliver a seamless employee experience. Key duties include processing weekly and bi-weekly payroll, reviewing changes (new hires, terminations, promotions, compensation changes), reconciling discrepancies, entering commissions and garnishments, auditing timecards/overtime/PTO, validating data before submission, maintaining payroll records, preparing payroll reports for Finance, reconciling benefit invoices against payroll deductions, tracking employer contributions and deductions, maintaining up-to-date benefits data in HRIS/payroll systems, processing invoices into SAP, ensuring compliance with laws (FLSA, ACA, ERISA, COBRA, etc.), supporting annual audits (401(k), workers’ compensation), preparing tax documents (W-2s, 1095-Cs), maintaining data confidentiality, responding to employee questions about pay/benefits/tax forms, and providing clear explanations of payroll calculations and deductions; includes backup support to AR/AP and knowledge of multi-state payroll and ACA reporting.