Payroll Audit Specialist

Whole Person Care Clinic; Santa Ana (CA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NHHA is creating this role to support the accuracy, integrity, and timely administration of employee timekeeping and payroll across its California operations. The Payroll Specialist will be responsible for the daily and pay-period review, reconciliation, and documentation of time and attendance records for up to 150 employees across multiple nonprofit organizations.

This position will identify and investigate missing, incomplete, or inconsistent timekeeping entries; coordinate timely corrections

Qualifications

• Strong attention to detail and sound judgment.
• Excellent organizational skills and follow-through.
• Commitment to accurate timekeeping and compliant payroll practices.

Responsibilities

• Monitor time and attendance for up to 150 employees across departments/locations.
• Reconcile schedules, timecards, leave entries and payroll inputs before deadlines.
• Communicate with employees/supervisors to verify hours worked and resolve discrepancies.
• Review overtime, meal/rest periods, paid sick leave and other wage requirements.
• Flag missed or interrupted meal periods and coordinate appropriate payroll treatment.
• Coordinate correction of underpayments and payroll errors with payroll.
• Maintain confidential records of time entries, corrections, and audits.
• Prepare exception reports, dashboards, and trend analyses by location/department.

Job description

Overview

NHHA is committed to employee well-being and maintaining a healthy work-life integration. The

information given below is intended to provide an understanding and appreciation of the workload

of the job and its role within NHHA. The job description outlines the main purposes in general

terms only. You may be required to carry out other duties in order to commensurate with the job.

This will not change the character or purpose of the job but will be necessary to maintain high

standards of business practice. This job description may be altered from time to time to meet the

changing needs of the company.

Job Summary

National Healthcare & Housing Advisors (NHHA) is creating this role to support the accuracy,

integrity, and timely administration of employee timekeeping and payroll across its California

operations. The Payroll Specialist will be responsible for the daily and pay-period review,

reconciliation, and documentation of time and attendance records for up to 150 employees across

multiple nonprofit organizations.

This position will identify and investigate missing, incomplete, or inconsistent timekeeping

entries; coordinate timely corrections with employees, managers, HR, and payroll; and maintain

thorough documentation and audit trails. The Payroll Specialist will help identify potential

underpayments, missed wage premiums, timekeeping discrepancies, and recordkeeping gaps

before payroll is finalized, while promptly escalating matters requiring HR, payroll leadership, or

legal and compliance review.

The ideal candidate demonstrates strong attention to detail, sound judgment, organization, and follow-through, with a commitment to accurate timekeeping, compliant payroll practices, and ensuring employees are properly compensated for all time worked.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor time and attendance records for up to 150 employees across multiple departments and locations. Identify missed punches, incomplete or unapproved timecards, duplicate entries, unusual schedules, unrecorded work time, and other discrepancies that may indicate inaccurate or unpaid time.
• Reconcile employee schedules, timecards, leave entries, approved pay-rate changes, and payroll inputs before each payroll deadline. Track exceptions through resolution and maintain documentation of the source, approval, and timing of adjustments.
• Proactively communicate with employees and supervisors to verify hours actually worked and resolve timekeeping discrepancies. Ensure corrections accurately reflect work performed, including work performed outside scheduled shifts, and do not reduce recorded hours solely because overtime was not previously authorized.
• Review timekeeping exceptions involving California daily and weekly overtime, double time, meal and rest periods, paid sick leave, reporting time, travel time, and other applicable wage-and-hour requirements. Escalate complex calculations, interpretations, or policy questions for appropriate review.
• Identify and flag missed, shortened, late, or interrupted meal periods, potentially missed rest periods, and inconsistent timekeeping attestations. Coordinate factual review and appropriate payroll treatment without altering records to conceal or eliminate an exception.
• Coordinate with payroll to facilitate timely correction of underpayments and other payroll errors, including supplemental or off-cycle payments when approved. Verify that corrections are processed and communicated appropriately and retain supporting documentation.
• Promptly ... management practices that may create wage-and-hour compliance concerns to HR and payroll leadership.
• Maintain accurate, organized, and confidential records of time entries, corrections, employee communications, approvals, investigations, and audit results in accordance with company record-retention requirements and applicable law.
• Prepare exception reports, dashboards, and trend analyses by location, department, and manager. Identify recurring issues and recommend training, workflow improvements, and system controls