Payroll Manager (Contract)

Vaco by Highspring; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 58,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is seeking a Payroll Consultant in Los Angeles for a 6+ month contract. The role demands a hands-on payroll leader to guide a system transition and ensure compliant, accurate payroll for about 150 employees.

The ideal candidate brings 5+ years of payroll experience with ADP Workforce Now/Manager, strong Excel skills, and the ability to work independently on critical transitions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership or SME-level responsibility.
• Current, hands-on ADP Workforce Now and ADP Workforce Manager experience required.
• Strong full-cycle payroll knowledge and experience.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations, journal entries, reporting, and compliance.
• Strong Excel skills for data review and reconciliations.
• Ability to work independently and hit the ground running with minimal training.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle payroll processing for approximately 150 employees.
• Process semi-monthly payroll for exempt and non-exempt employees.
• Support payroll operations during an ADP Workforce Now implementation.
• Reconcile payroll, prepare journal entries, and generate payroll reports.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee inquiries.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Support audits and payroll-related reporting requests.
• Manage benefits and retirement deductions.
• Work with HR and Accounting to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and procedures.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Full-cycle payroll

Independent work

Excel proficiency

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

ADP Workforce Manager

Job description

Location: Los Angeles, CA (90048)Schedule: Hybrid - 3 days onsite / 2 days remoteType: Contract, 6+ monthsPay: up to $70/hr, depending on experience

We are seeking an experienced Payroll Consultant to provide hands-on payroll leadership and support a growing organization through a payroll system transition. This is a high-impact opportunity for a payroll professional who can step in quickly, work independently, and ensure accurate and compliant payroll operations.

Responsibilities

Payroll Consultant

Location: Los Angeles, CA (90048)Schedule: Hybrid - 3 days onsite / 2 days remoteType: Contract, 6+ monthsPay: up to $70/hr, depending on experience

We are seeking an experienced Payroll Consultant to provide hands-on payroll leadership and support a growing organization through a payroll system transition. This is a high-impact opportunity for a payroll professional who can step in quickly, work independently, and ensure accurate and compliant payroll operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle payroll processing for approximately 150 employees.
• Process semi-monthly payroll for exempt and non-exempt employees.
• Support payroll operations during an ADP Workforce Now implementation.
• Reconcile payroll, prepare journal entries, and generate payroll reports.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee inquiries.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Support audits and payroll-related reporting requests.
• Manage benefits and retirement deductions.
• Work with HR and Accounting to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and procedures.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including payroll leadership or SME-level responsibility.
• Current, hands-on ADP Workforce Now and ADP Workforce Manager experience required.
• Strong full-cycle payroll knowledge and experience.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations, journal entries, reporting, and compliance.
• Strong Excel skills for data review and reconciliations.
• Ability to work independently and hit the ground running with minimal training.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Preferred

• Union payroll experience.
• Nonprofit experience.
• Payroll implementation or system conversion experience.
• Audit support experience.

This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll SME who enjoys taking ownership, stabilizing processes, and supporting a major payroll system transition.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] .

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. workplace discrimination is illegal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certification requirements; office location and other geographic considerations; and other business and organizational needs.

the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

licensure and certification requirements;

office location and other geographic considerations; and

other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).