Payroll Specialist II

Sonoco; Hartsville (SC); Hybrid; USD 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision

401(k) match

Wellbeing resources

Paid time off

Insurance plans

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Sonoco, a global packaging leader, seeks a Payroll Specialist II to support US and Canadian operations in a hybrid role based out of Charlotte, NC. You will handle multi‑company, multi‑state payroll processing and partner with internal teams to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance.

You will drive process improvements in Workday, perform SOX controls, and resolve pay issues while coordinating with auditors and stakeholders. A 2–3 year payroll background and a Bachelor’s degree are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a business, accounting, finance, or HR field.
• 2–3 years payroll processing for 2,000+ employees.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• Experience with US/Canada payroll rules and SOX compliance preferred.

Responsibilities

• Process payrolls accurately for multi-company, multi-state, and multiple cycles.
• Improve processes by optimizing Workday tasks and reducing manual steps.
• Investigate payroll issues and implement corrective actions.
• Audit data for SOX compliance and coordinate with auditors as needed.
• Coordinate with auditors and stakeholders as required.
• Research US/Canada payroll rules and apply regulations.
• Resolve garnishments and manage employee case resolutions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Payroll processing

SOX compliance

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Admin

Tools

Workday

UKG

Excel

Teams

Job description

From a small family business to a multi-billion-dollar global company, Sonoco has been changing the face of products and packaging since 1899 — all while keeping the heart of “People Build Businesses” alive.

Our talented people are at the core of our growth, constantly reinventing the Sonoco wheel with brilliant solutions every year. Today we are a world leader in global packaging solutions with diversified operations in over 34 countries. We're extremely proud of our portfolio of brands, our achievements in sustainability and industrialization and the groundbreaking work accomplished by our people.

Alongside the Payroll team, the Payroll Specialist 2 will be responsible for performing assigned duties regarding the processing of hourly and salaried payrolls for the Company’s US and Canadian operations.

NOTE: This is a hybrid position, based out of Charlotte, NC. Will not consider remote applicants.

This role is an operations role within our growing Sonoco Services (S2) organization. It is an excellent opportunity to gain experience within a global organization and use the operations knowledge to explore further career growth within Sonoco Services or the broader Sonoco organization.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Responsible for the timely and accurate processing and support of Sonoco’s payrolls. Includes multi-company, multi-state, and multiple pay cycles.
• Participate in improvement projects through optimization of Workday processes specifically focused on eliminating manual operations.
• Assist in Root Cause investigation and corrective/preventative action implementation for repeat and impactful payroll errors.
• Proactive audits to ensure data accuracy and compliance with SOX to identify any control weaknesses. Initiates corrective action for system edit and error messages.
• Oversee distribution of confidential information as needed to PWC, auditors, corporate, etc. as needed.
• Must be able to research federal and state rules and regulations for the U.S. and Canada.
• Must be able to make decisions to resolve pay issues that arise with the operations, balancing the needs of the employees with the cost to Sonoco, while ensuring that Sonoco follows federal, state, and local regulations.
• Handle garnishment documents and manage employee case resolution.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree – preferred majors include business administration, accounting, finance, and human resources
• 2 -3 years of payroll processing experience of 2,000+ employees
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to grasp a general knowledge of multiple disciplines and technologies
• Strong Payroll Auditing Skills
• Strong analytical and people skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications (particularly Excel and Teams)
• Ability to effectively organize and structure activities
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral

Preferred Qualifications

• 5-7 years of payroll processing experience of 5,000+ employees
• Workday payroll processing experience
• Experience working in a fast-paced public company environment
• UKG experience

Preferred Certifications

Preferred Certifications: FPC or CPP

Compensation

• Payroll Specialist II: $63,840 - $71,820

*Benefits listed below are for employees located in the U.S. Specific benefits and wellbeing programs may vary depending on your location (within the U.S. or global), or if you are a union employee.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, including FSA and HSA options
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Wellbeing tools and resources to support holistic health, including an Employee Assistance Program with a variety of services
• Paid time off and holidays to recreate, rejuvenate and care for the health of yourself and family
• Variety of company paid and voluntary employee-paid insurance plans including life, personal accident, and disability insurance
• Tuition reimbursement

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.