Senior Payroll Specialist

Our client, a global law firm, is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist. This individual will manage the accurate and timely processing of all U.S. payrolls, including multi-state payroll compliance, year-end reporting, and payroll reconciliations.

Schedule

Hybrid or Fully Remote

Remote Work Locations

Candidates can work remotely from the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Salary

$63k - $90k

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end processing of all U.S. payrolls, including multi-state payrolls, to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
• Oversee and approve employee tax elections, direct deposit changes, deductions, final pay, and PTO payouts.
• Review payroll data to identify and resolve discrepancies before payroll processing.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax and wage laws, including multi-jurisdiction requirements.
• Handle payroll audits and maintain internal controls and audit-ready payroll records.
• Prepare payroll workpapers, uploads, reconciliations, and supporting documentation for each payroll cycle.
• Work closely with Human Resources on salary changes, leave administration, onboarding, and terminations.
• Collaborate with Benefits to ensure accurate payroll deductions.
• Collaborate with Accounting to resolve payroll issues and support accurate general ledger posting.
• Manage payroll tracking tools and reconciliation documents, including manual check logs.
• Handle employee and management payroll inquiries and clearly explain payroll calculations and deductions.
• Stay abreast of payroll tax regulations, wage-and-hour laws, and FLSA requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• At least 8+ years of payroll experience is required.
• Experience in a law firm or professional services environment is a plus.
• A CPP certification is preferred, or an FPC certification is acceptable.
• Experience in processing multi-state payrolls and managing related tax compliance.
• Familiarity with UKG (formerly Kronos/Ultimate Software) or a similar enterprise payroll/HRIS platform.
• Advanced Excel skills, including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data validation, and CSV/template creation.
• Knowledgeable of payroll taxes, gross-to-net calculations, payroll accounting, and wage and hour compliance.
• Prior experience preparing payroll journal entries and reconciling payroll liability accounts.