POSITION SUMMARY

The Payroll Accountant is responsible for the accurate, compliant, and timely processing of biweekly payroll for approximately 400+ employees in a manufacturing environment. This role plays a critical operational role within the HR function, ensuring payroll accuracy, regulatory compliance, strong internal controls, and positive employee experience. The Senior Payroll Specialist partners closely with HR, Benefits, Finance, and Accounting to support payroll execution, audits, reporting, and continuous process improvement. This position requires strong technical payroll expertise, exceptional attention to detail, and multi-state experience (CA, OR, ID, and AZ).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Principal accountabilities:

• Prepare, audit, and process biweekly U.S. payroll for approximately 400 + hourly and salaried employees.


• Review, validate, and reconcile timekeeping data, and ensure payroll data accuracy before submission for general ledger posting. 


• Perform pre- and post-payroll audits, including variance analysis, reconciliation of payroll-related balance sheet accounts monthly, and exception review.


• Process off-cycle payrolls, corrections, retroactive adjustments, and manual payments.


• Maintain payroll controls to ensure accuracy and compliance, and strong internal controls and segregation of duties.


• Ensure accurate setup and maintenance of federal, state, and local tax withholdings.


• Ensure compliance with FLSA and applicable wage and hour regulations.


• Support payroll audits and prepare required documentation.


• Maintain payroll SOPs, process documentation, and checklists.


• Respond to employee payroll inquiries with professionalism and urgency.


• Partner with HR, Benefits, and Finance on payroll data and deadlines.


• Support internal and external audits, including SOX (if applicable) 


• Recommend and implement process improvements to reduce risk and increase efficiency


• Partner with HR on compensation, benefits deductions, leave programs, and employee changes