Certified Payroll Specialist

AppleOne; Escondido (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid health insurance

Employer-paid dental insurance

Employer-paid vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

AppleOne Employment Services in North San Diego is seeking an experienced Certified Payroll Specialist to support complex payroll operations across residential, commercial, and office construction projects.

You will manage multi-state and certified payroll reporting, apply prevailing wage and union requirements, and assist with project accounting and payroll journal entries. This role offers a stable team, strong benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Process complex construction payroll including multi-state and certified payroll.
• Ensure compliance with prevailing wage and union requirements.
• Support project accounting and payroll-related journal entries.

Responsibilities

• Process accurate and timely multi-state payroll with updates and record maintenance.
• Prepare certified payroll reports for prevailing wage projects using platforms such as LCPtracker, eMars, Elations.
• Manage union payroll reporting applying union agreements and master labor agreements.
• Prepare payroll journal entries and assist with project accounting activities.
• Generate project-specific payroll, labor, and compliance reports for construction projects.
• Assist with project setup, documentation, and construction accounting processes.

Skills

Multi-state payroll

Certified payroll

Prevailing wage

Union payroll reporting

Project accounting

Payroll journal entries

Microsoft Office

Tools

LCPtracker

eMars

Elations

Job description

A growing construction organization in north San Diego is seeking an experienced Certified Payroll Specialist. This role is ideal for a payroll professional with strong construction payroll experience, certified payroll expertise, union reporting knowledge, and a detail-driven approach to compliance. The Certified Payroll Specialist will support complex payroll operations across residential, commercial, and office construction projects. This position plays a key role in processing multi-state payroll, preparing certified payroll reports, supporting project accounting, and ensuring compliance with prevailing wage, union, tax, and labor regulations. This is an excellent opportunity to join a stable construction team with supportive leadership, collaborative coworkers, and a positive work environment that values accuracy, accountability, teamwork, and professional growth. The company offers strong benefits, long-term stability, and the opportunity to contribute to important construction projects while building your career in payroll and construction accounting.

Key Responsibilities

• Process accurate and timely multi-state payroll, including timesheet review, employee updates, tax calculations, direct deposit changes, and payroll record maintenance.
• Prepare and submit certified payroll reports for prevailing wage projects using platforms such as LCPtracker, eMars, Elations, and similar systems.
• Manage union payroll reporting while applying union agreements, master labor agreements, prevailing wage rules, and trade-specific payroll requirements.
• Prepare payroll journal entries, assist with payroll-related accounting functions, and support general project accounting activities.
• Generate project-specific payroll, labor, job cost, and compliance reports for residential, commercial, and office construction projects.
• Assist with project setup, job setup, project documentation, administrative support, and related construction accounting processes.

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay range: $25 to $43 per hour, depending on experience.
• Direct hire opportunity.
• Employer-paid health insurance.
• Employer-paid dental insurance.
• Employer-paid vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid time off.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Process complex construction payroll, including multi-state payroll, certified payroll, prevailing wage payroll, and union payroll.
• Prepare certified payroll reporting and union compliance reports for construction projects.
• Support project accounting, job cost reporting, payroll journal entries, and payroll-related accounting functions.
• Maintain payroll compliance with federal, state, local, tax, union, and prevailing wage requirements.
• 4+ years of relevant payroll experience required.
• 4 to 6 years of construction payroll and project accounting experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of construction payroll, certified payroll, prevailing wage requirements, union payroll, and master labor agreements.
• Experience processing payroll for multiple construction trades, including Carpenters, Ironworkers, Laborers, and Operating Engineers.
• Experience with multi-state payroll, payroll tax calculations, payroll reporting, employee records, direct deposit updates, and employment status changes.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Experience with payroll tax compliance, payroll tax tables, workers' compensation classifications, and reporting.
• Journal entry experience and general accounting knowledge.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, time management, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Sage 100 Contractor is a plus.
• Experience with QuickBooks is a plus.
• Experience using LCPtracker, eMars, Elations, or similar certified payroll reporting platforms.
• Knowledge of CCIP, OCIP, and UCIP enrollment processes is a plus.
• Bilingual English and Spanish skills are a plus.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

The Know Your Rights poster is available here: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf

The pay transparency policy is available here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf

• For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

AppleOne participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program. https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf

We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.