Payroll Supervisor- Agriculture

Bonipak Produce; Santa Maria (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K

Profit Sharing

Vacation

Sick

Paid Company Holidays

Jury Duty Leave

Job summary

Bonipak Produce is seeking a Payroll Supervisor to oversee accurate and timely payroll for a diverse agricultural workforce across multiple locations. You will ensure compliance with wage-hour laws, tax requirements, and company policies while partnering with HR, Operations and Accounting to maintain payroll integrity.

The role requires 5+ years of payroll processing, 2+ years in leadership, and experience with high-volume and piece-rate structures, ideally within agriculture.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of payroll processing experience.
• 2+ years of lead, supervisory, or senior payroll experience.
• Experience with agricultural, farming, ranching, or seasonal workforce environments preferred.
• Experience with high-volume payroll and complex wage structures.

Responsibilities

• Process payroll across multiple locations for permanent, seasonal, hourly, salaried, and piece-rate employees.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage-hour laws and payroll taxes.
• Maintain payroll records and support reconciliations between timekeeping and payroll systems.
• Respond to payroll inquiries and provide guidance to field timekeepers.
• Assist with audits, system upgrades, and process improvements.

Skills

Payroll regulations

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Excel

HRIS proficiency

Leadership

Education

Associate's degree in Accounting/Finance/HR

Experience considered in lieu of degree

Tools

ADP

UKG

Paylocity

Ceridian

Job description

A Payroll Supervisor in agriculture requires a strong blend of payroll expertise, regulatory compliance knowledge, and experience managing a diverse workforce that may include seasonal, migrant, hourly, and piece‑rate employees.

Position Summary

The Payroll Supervisor is responsible for overseeing and processing accurate and timely payroll for agricultural operations, including permanent, seasonal, hourly, salaried, and piece‑rate employees. This role ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, agricultural labor regulations, payroll tax requirements, and company policies. The Payroll Supervisor serves as the primary payroll subject matter expert and collaborates closely with Human Resources, Operations, Accounting, and field management to ensure payroll accuracy and regulatory compliance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Process weekly, bi‑weekly, and/or semi‑monthly payroll for a multi‑location agricultural workforce.
• Review and validate employee time records, piece‑rate earnings, production data, attendance records, and payroll adjustments.
• Ensure accurate calculations of wages, overtime, meal and rest period premiums, bonuses, incentive pay, deductions, and garnishments.
• Audit payroll records for accuracy and resolve discrepancies before payroll transmission.
• Maintain payroll records and supporting documentation in accordance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Monitor completion of payroll‑related reconciliations between payroll, timekeeping, and other applicable systems.

Compliance and Regulatory Oversight

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws, including agricultural wage and hour regulations.
• Maintain compliance with Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), California Labor Code, ACA reporting requirements, and applicable agricultural labor regulations.
• Coordinate payroll tax filings and ensure timely remittance of payroll‑related taxes.
• Support internal and external audits, labor compliance reviews, and government inquiries.
• Stay current on changes in payroll legislation, agricultural employment laws, and wage requirements.
• Provide guidance, training, and support to payroll staff and field timekeepers.
• Assign and monitor payroll responsibilities based on operational needs.
• Assist with payroll process improvements and standardization across locations.
• Review employee work for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to established procedures.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll issues and employee inquiries.
• Partner with supervisors and department leaders to ensure timely and accurate workforce reporting.
• Assist with onboarding and training new payroll employees.
• Coordinate cross‑training to maintain adequate payroll coverage and reduce dependency on individual employees.

Systems and Reporting

• Maintain payroll system integrity, employee records, and earnings codes.
• Generate payroll reports, labor cost analyses, tax reports, and management dashboards.
• Reconcile payroll‑related general ledger accounts and support month‑end closing activities.
• Assist with payroll system upgrades, testing, implementations, and process enhancements.
• Identify inefficient or inconsistent processes and recommend improvements to the Payroll Manager.
• Assist with monitoring the effectiveness of newly implemented payroll procedures and controls.

Employee Support

• Respond to employee payroll questions professionally and promptly.
• Assist employees with direct deposit setup, tax withholding changes, earnings statements, and payroll‑related concerns.
• Ensure confidentiality of employee payroll and personal information.

Qualifications

Education

• Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Experience

• 5+ years of payroll processing experience.
• 2+ years of lead, supervisory, or senior payroll experience preferred.
• Experience supporting agricultural, farming, ranching, produce packing, food processing, or seasonal workforce environments strongly preferred.
• Experience with high‑volume payroll processing and complex wage structures.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, wage and hour regulations, and payroll taxation.
• Experience with agricultural payroll practices, including piece‑rate compensation and seasonal workforce management.
• Proficiency with payroll software, HRIS systems, and Microsoft Excel.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• High level of accuracy, attention to detail, and confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
• Experience with ADP, UKG, Paylocity, Ceridian, Picktrace, Pet Tiger or other enterprise payroll systems.
• Bilingual English/Spanish desired but not required
• Knowledge of California agricultural labor laws and compliance requirements.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer.
• Occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds.
• Ability to travel occasionally between company locations if required.
• Office‑based environment with regular interaction with field operations and production teams.
• May require additional hours during peak agricultural seasons, payroll processing periods, year‑end activities, and audits.
• Payroll Expertise
• Leadership and Accountability
• Compliance Orientation
• Attention to Detail
• Confidentiality and Integrity
• Problem Solving
• Customer Service Focus
• Collaboration and Teamwork

Professional Development

• Payroll certification support (CPP) and continuing education opportunities
• Professional development and training programs
• Career advancement opportunities within the organization

We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support the health, well-being, and financial security of our employees and their families, including:

• 401K
• Profit Sharing
• Vacation
• Sick
• Paid Company Holidays
• Jury Duty Leave

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