HYBRID Payroll Specialist

CONFIDENTIAL; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

CONFIDENTIAL in Irvine, CA is seeking an experienced payroll professional to perform advanced payroll processing, audits, and data validation using Workday and ADP SmartCompliance. You will handle bi-weekly payroll activities, from input validation to on-demand off-cycle checks and employment verifications.

Collaborate with HR, HRIS, IT, Benefits, and Accounting; manage Zendesk tickets, support quarterly and year-end audits, and ensure compliance with federal and California wage laws.

Qualifications

• Experience with payroll processing and audits.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state and local payroll regulations.
• Proficient in Excel with advanced functions like Pivot Tables and VLOOKUP.

Responsibilities

• Run pay and retro pay calculations, audits, and validation reports in Workday.
• Validate payroll inputs and update employee data for direct deposit changes.
• Process Direct Deposit rejects, reissues, and notify associates for re-depositing funds.
• Handle ADP SmartCompliance tasks including garnishments and tax documents.
• Research and resolve Zendesk tickets related to Payroll, Time Tracking, Absence.
• Support quarterly, year-end, and external audits and 941 tie-outs.
• Collaborate across Workstreams to ensure payroll accuracy and alignment with accounting.
• Mentor Payroll Specialists and help document SOPs and workflows.

Skills

Workday Payroll

ADP SmartCompliance

Payroll auditing

Excel (Pivot, VLOOKUP)

Data validation

Tools

Zendesk

HRIS

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

OVERVIEW OF POSITION:

Under direct supervision, performs advanced payroll processing, auditing, and data validation using Workday and ADP SmartCompliance. This role ensures the accuracy, compliance, and integrity of payroll data and supports all bi-weekly payroll activities. Assists in calculating and processing on-demand off-cycle checks; employment verification requests; researches and resolves payroll, time tracking, and absence issues; manages direct deposit errors; processes stop payments and voids; uploads garnishments and tax documents; and collaborates with all workstreams, including but not limited to HR, HRIS, IT, Benefits, Compensation, and Accounting. This position also handles Zendesk ticket management, reassignment, and supports quarterly, year-end, and audit activities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Run pay and retro pay calculations, audits, and validation reports in Workday; reviews arrears, unsubmitted time, and pending approvals for completeness.
• Validates payroll inputs and update employee data for direct deposit changes or rejected transactions; coordinates with HRIS for EIB requests and configuration updates via Zendesk.
• Runs the Direct Deposit Reject/Error Report after each payroll; corrects invalid accounts, inactivates rejected accounts, and notifies associates to add new accounts for re-depositing funds.
• Processes stop payments, voids, and reissues through ADP SmartCompliance; uploads garnishments and tax documents; reviews outstanding-check and exception reports; serves as payroll contact for The Work Number (Equifax).
• Researches, analyzes, and resolves Zendesk tickets related to Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence; reassigns tickets to the appropriate Workstream to ensure timely handling and resolution.
• Supports quarterly, year-end, and external audits, including 941 tie-outs and W-2 balancing; ensures payroll compliance with federal and California wage and hour laws.
• Collaborates with all Workstreams to ensure payroll data accuracy, timely corrections, and alignment of payroll outputs with accounting requirements.
• Provides mentoring and support to Payroll Specialists I and II and assist in documenting standard operating procedures and workflows.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of department and organizational objectives.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Proficiency in Workday Payroll audit tools and ADP SmartCompliance.
• Strong analytical, reconciliation, and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced Excel skills including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, Sumif, formulas
• Ability to investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies.
• Attention to detail and accuracy under strict deadlines.
• Strong communication skills with ability to collaborate across departments.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and handle sensitive information.
• Ability to follow legal and internal procedures as they relate to the payroll function.
• Ability to demonstrate the understanding and compliance with regulatory requirements, organization policies, procedures and practices.
• Ability to maintain professional demeanor and customer service focus in all interactions.
• Effective written and oral communication skills with associates at all levels, both internal and external to the organization.
• Good analytical skills, detail oriented, possess strong organizational skills, and the ability to multi task and work under pressure with time critical deadlines.