Payroll Coordinator

Akin; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) eligibility

Paid time off

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington, DC is seeking a Payroll Coordinator in our Human Resources department. The role handles data entry, preparation, processing, validation and reconciliation of payrolls and time and attendance for the firm’s U.S.

offices, with hybrid work capabilities. Reporting to the Payroll Manager, you will monitor timecard submissions, ensure tax compliance, run reports, and support the finance and tax teams.

Qualifications

• College degree, with specialization in accounting or finance preferred.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of payroll experience; Workday experience preferred.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word/Outlook) and advanced Excel.
• Knowledge of federal, state and local tax regulations.
• Excellent oral and written communication; ability to work independently and in a team.

Responsibilities

• Assist with processing and validation of multiple payrolls for staff and partners monthly.
• Enter payroll data into Workday HRIS and prepare related tax files.
• Monitor timecard submissions and ensure deadlines are met.
• Analyze payroll data for accuracy, tax compliance and GL entries.
• Provide reports to internal departments and support with benefits and deductions.

Skills

Payroll processing

Workday

Excel

Communication skills

Time management

Teamwork

Problem solving

Education

College degree in accounting/finance

High School diploma

Tools

Workday HRIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Location: Washington, DC

Schedule: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM

FLSA: Exempt

Position Type: Full-Time/Regular

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are currently seeking a Payroll Coordinator in our Human Resources department, reporting directly to the Payroll Manager.

This role will reside in the Washington, DC office with hybrid work capabilities and will be responsible for assisting with the data entry, preparation, processing, validation and reconciliation of payrolls and time and attendance for the firm’s U.S. offices. The Payroll Coordinator is expected to serve as a positive role model and mentor, and to perform all responsibilities with a commitment to providing superior service to the firm’s attorneys, advisors and staff, efficient and effective departmental operations, and an atmosphere of teamwork and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Assist with the process and validation of multiple payrolls for staff and partners each month.
• Ability to process large volumes of data efficiently.
• Coordinate payroll activities and functions with other team members to ensure smooth payroll operations.
• Analyze payroll data for accuracy and tax compliance.
• Ensure accurate and timely ACH and tax file submission ensuring all deadlines are met.
• Process on/off cycle payments and various corrections.
• Provide reports as requested from payroll for various internal departments.
• Enter payroll data into the firm’s Workday HRIS, including various HR, benefits, transportation and tax-related elections and deductions.
• Ability to analyze and validate periodic, quarterly and annual tax filing with firm’s 3rd party tax vendor.
• Assist Finance and Tax Departments with analysis of payroll related items in the general ledger.
• Run and analyze reports in Finance system used to create hourly attorneys’ timecards in Workday on a semi-monthly basis.
• Monitor timecard submission and approval process ensuring all deadlines are met.
• Ability to validate and verify timecard calculations as necessary.
• Monitor Time and Attendance group email box to answer questions and address issues with guidance and oversight from Payroll Manager.
• Monitor Payroll group email box and answer questions and address issues with guidance and oversight from the Payroll Manager.
• Process Accounts Payable check requests for payroll-deducted contributions.
• Maintain payroll tracking spreadsheets and payroll back-up files—semi-monthly, monthly and annual.
• Assist with Workday system upgrade testing and implementations.
• Answer questions and assist personnel with tax and other payment modeling and estimates through the Workday HRIS self‑service functionality.
• Prepare administrative analyses and reports and related functions.
• Assist with other HR departmental responsibilities as requested.

Qualifications (Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities):

• College degree, with specialization in accounting or finance preferred.
• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of payroll experience. Previous experience with Workday preferred.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Outlook.
• Demonstrated knowledge of payroll and tax-related federal, state and local tax regulations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of state and local overtime regulations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to read, comprehend and follow instructions.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong service orientation and an ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with peers, office and firm management, and outside business partners.
• Ability to use critique of work to improve performance.
• Ability to troubleshoot payroll-related issues and problems and identify possible solutions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adjust to changing priorities in a professional manner.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects with specific deadlines; strong attention to detail.
• Commitment to professional growth and development.

The anticipated base salary range for this position in Washington, DC is $80,000 - $100,000. The actual salary offered will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, years of relevant experience, certifications or other professional licenses held, job-related knowledge and skills, business needs, and the location from which the work will be performed. Additionally, salary or hourly wages may be only part of the total compensation package, which may also include a full range of health and other insurance benefits, financial and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility), a discretionary bonus, and various paid time off benefits. Additional information about benefits and rewards can be found here.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP participates in E-Verify for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.