Payroll Specialist
Location: Chesterfield, MO / Hybrid – onsite on Wednesdays
Employment Type: Direct Hire Full-time
Salary: $70,000-$75,000 per year
We’re seeking a detail-oriented Payroll Specialist to own end-to-end payroll operations with a focus on accuracy, compliance, and continuous improvement. This role processes U.S. payroll, partners with HR/Finance/HRIS, and works with outsourced payroll providers and vendors to scale our payroll function.
Key Responsibilities
• Process end-to-end payroll cycles (weekly/biweekly/monthly) for U.S. employees.
• Operate and maintain UKG (or comparable payroll platforms); serve as in-house expert for payroll system configuration, integrations, and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. payroll tax regulations, garnishments, wage-and-hour laws, and statutory requirements.
• Reconcile payroll, perform audits, and prepare payroll reports, journal entries, and variance analyses for Finance.
• Document payroll procedures, controls, and SOPs; drive process improvements and standardization across locations and stakeholders.
• Partner with HR, Finance, HRIS, IT, benefits providers, and external payroll vendors to resolve issues and support implementations, transformations, and year-end activities (e.g., W-2s, audits).
• Respond to employee and manager inquiries; explain payroll concepts clearly and maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive data.
• Support payroll operations and vendor partnerships; contribute to governance, controls, and scalable documentation.
Qualifications
Education & Certifications
• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Payroll Administration, or related field preferred.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), or Canadian Payroll certification preferred.
Experience
• 5+ years of progressive payroll administration experience, including end-to-end payroll processing.
• Hands-on experience processing payroll using UKG (UltiPro/Pro) or comparable platforms (e.g., ADP, Ceridian).
• Experience supporting U.S. payroll processing and payroll tax compliance.
• Experience partnering with HR, Finance, and HRIS; documenting procedures and driving continuous process improvements.
• Experience with payroll operations, shared services, payroll transformation, or implementation projects strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to establish payroll governance, controls, documentation, and standardized processes across multiple stakeholders or locations.
Technical Knowledge & Skills
• Strong knowledge of U.S. payroll regulations, payroll taxes, garnishments, and statutory compliance.
• Solid understanding of payroll controls, audits, reporting, and reconciliations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and payroll reporting tools; familiarity with HRIS and payroll system integrations preferred.
• Continuous improvement mindset with focus on process efficiency and operational excellence.
