Payroll Consultant

Professional Search Group - OC; Orange (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Professional Search Group has partnered with a growing organization to identify an experienced Payroll Consultant for a contract opportunity. Reporting to the Controller, this role will oversee all aspects of payroll administration, including accurate processing, compliance, system updates, adjustments, and team leadership.

The ideal candidate will bring seven-plus years of payroll experience, deep knowledge of California wage and hour laws, and the ability to manage union and certified payroll

Qualifications

• 7+ years of payroll experience.
• Strong knowledge of California wage and hour laws.
• Experience with unions and certified payroll.
• Experience with large payroll systems.
• Proven supervisory or leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll processing for all employees.
• Review payroll adjustments, retroactive payments, and final paychecks.
• Ensure timely distribution of pay stubs and wage statements.
• Remit union benefits to local trusts.
• Collaborate with HR on classifications and onboarding.
• Prepare reports and assist with certified payroll audits.

Skills

CA wage laws

Payroll leadership

Union payroll

Large payroll systems

Education

Payroll/related degree or certification

Payroll certification

Tools

Paylocity

Sage Intacct

Job description

Professional Search Group has partnered with a growing organization to identify an experienced Payroll Consultant for a contract opportunity. Reporting to the Controller, this position will oversee all aspects of payroll administration, including accurate and timely payroll processing, regulatory compliance, system updates, payroll adjustments, and team leadership.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive payroll experience, strong knowledge of California wage and hour laws, and the ability to manage union and certified payroll requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing and Oversight

• Manage end-to-end payroll processing for all employees, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with California requirements.
• Calculate and process wages, bonuses, overtime, deductions, garnishments, and union-related payments.
• Review and approve payroll adjustments, retroactive payments, and final paychecks.
• Ensure timely and accurate distribution of pay stubs and wage statements.
• Process and remit union benefits to the appropriate local trusts.

Compliance and Auditing

• Maintain current knowledge of California wage and hour laws, including overtime, meal and rest break requirements, final-pay rules, and wage-theft protections.
• Remain current on applicable Ironworkers union agreements and requirements.
• Ensure payroll practices comply with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as internal policies.
• Conduct regular audits of payroll records and reports, promptly investigating and correcting discrepancies.
• Prepare reports for internal and external stakeholders and support certified payroll audits.

Payroll Systems and Data Integrity

• Collaborate with internal departments to ensure payroll systems and related technology operate effectively.
• Perform payroll-system validations and testing in a sandbox environment before production deployment.
• Document system changes and maintain the accuracy and integrity of payroll data.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Supervise payroll staff and provide training on regulatory changes, payroll procedures, and internal policies.
• Partner with Human Resources on employee classifications, onboarding, offboarding, and benefits-related payroll updates.
• Collaborate with Finance to reconcile payroll activity and prepare journal entries.

Payroll Adjustments and Reporting

• Review and process payroll adjustment requests.
• Communicate payroll corrections to employees clearly and promptly.
• Assist with ESOP administration, including preparation of the annual census for the third-party administrator.
• Prepare ad hoc payroll reports as needed.

Qualifications

• Degree, certification, or equivalent professional training in payroll, accounting, finance, human resources, or a related field.
• At least seven years of payroll experience.
• Three to five years of payroll supervisory or leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of California wage and hour laws is required.
• Experience with trade unions and certified payroll requirements is preferred.
• Experience working with large payroll systems.
• Paylocity and Sage Intacct experience is a plus.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical ability, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across Payroll, Finance, Human Resources, and Operations.