Payroll Administrator

Wafna; Santa Fe Springs (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Wafna is seeking a Payroll Administrator to provide administrative and operational support for payroll processing across the United States and Canada, ensuring timely and accurate payroll runs. You will review timesheets, enter data in Dayforce, and maintain employee records.

Under the Payroll Supervisor, you will handle end-to-end payroll, respond to inquiries, prepare reports, and support compliance with wage laws. This role requires strong data accuracy and confidentiality.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of payroll administration experience.
• Proficient in Dayforce and MS Office.
• Experience processing Canadian payroll preferred.
• Associate degree or equivalent training.

Responsibilities

• Process biweekly payroll for 1,000+ employees across multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. federal, state, local, and Canadian payroll laws and regulations.
• Review, reconcile, and approve timesheets; resolve discrepancies for accuracy.
• Maintain accurate payroll and HR records; respond to employee inquiries.
• Prepare payroll reports and year-end filings (W-2s, T4s) and support audits.
• Support Dayforce and WFM module functions; train managers on procedures.

Skills

Dayforce

Payroll processing

Communication

Bilingual

Education

Associate degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Payroll Administrator provides administrative and operational support for payroll processing and employee payroll records. This role reviews timesheets, enters payroll data, maintains employee information, responds to employee inquiries, and prepares payroll reports. Working under the guidance of the Payroll Supervisor, the Payroll Administrator helps ensure payroll activities are completed accurately and on time while developing expertise with Dayforce and payroll compliance requirements in the United States and Canada.

Essential Job Functions

• Process biweekly payroll for 1,000+ employees across multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
• Administer payroll in compliance with U.S. federal, state, and local wage and hour laws and Canadian federal and provincial payroll regulations.
• Partner with managers to review, reconcile, and approve employee timesheets before each payroll run by resolving missing punches, exceptions, approvals, and discrepancies to ensure accuracy.
• Ensure the accurate calculation of wages, overtime, bonuses, commissions, retro pay, and payroll adjustments.
• Maintain accurate payroll and HR records by updating employee data, including new hires, terminations, transfers, position changes, and pay rate changes.
• Process end-to-end payroll transactions, including regular and off-cycle payrolls, benefit deductions, garnishments, direct deposits, bonuses, retro pay, and annual entitlement cash-outs.
• Process 401(k) contributions and loan transactions, and perform regular payroll and benefits reconciliations.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries, resolving issues promptly, accurately, and professionally.
• Support Dayforce payroll and workforce management (WFM) module functions.
• Train and support managers on payroll policies, timekeeping practices, and proper use of the Dayforce system, ensuring consistent application of procedures and timely approvals.
• Handle payroll-related monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting for both U.S. and Canada entities.
• Support internal and external audits.
• Prepare and process year-end payroll activities, including W‑2s, T4s, and related filings.
• Perform additional tasks as assigned.

Experience/ Training/ Education

• 2 years or more of experience in Payroll administration
• Proficient in the Dayforce platform and Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience processing Canadian payroll is strongly preferred
• Associate degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Knowledge, Skills, and Ability

• Strong understanding of prevailing wage laws and regulations.
• Must be knowledgeable about federal and multiple state payroll-related laws.
• Knowledge of computer systems and the Dayforce payroll system
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate with various levels of management.
• Decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking, analytical skills, and ability to develop original ideas to solve problems.
• Strong judgment and decision-making skills; verbal, written, and active listening communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and record-keeping.
• Ability to prepare and process automated payrolls
• Strong organizational ability to meet time schedules and deadlines
• Ability to deal sensitively with confidential material.
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong work ethic and a team player.
• Bilingual in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean is a plus.

Working Conditions:

The Payroll Administrator will work a minimum of 40 hours per week; however, they must remain flexible during periods that require overtime. While working under pressure is unavoidable when schedules change or issues arise, all deadlines and goals must still be met. The Payroll Administrator will manage a multi-state payroll process, communicating with employees, supervisors, and managers across various time zones. The majority of their duties will be performed at a desk and will involve extensive typing and reading on a computer terminal. Furthermore, they will engage with others directly via video conferencing or telephone. As these interactions often involve sensitive data, the Administrator is expected to maintain strict confidentiality regarding all disclosed information.