Senior Payroll Associate

KellyMitchell Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 43,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance

Employee-Owned ESOP

401K

Job summary

KellyMitchell Group in New York, NY seeks a Senior Payroll Associate for a 6-month contract-to-hire, starting August 2026. You will manage multi-state payrolls for non-union employees, including hourly and freelance workers, ensuring compliance with wage garnishments, taxation, and wage-hour laws.

The role emphasizes process improvements and collaboration with cross-functional partners, with a focus on accuracy, audit readiness, and SOX controls. On-site location with competitive benefits.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of hands-on payroll processing experience, preferably in media/entertainment.
• Experience interpreting and setting up withholding orders for levies and garnishments.
• Knowledge of California labor laws.
• Experience with automated time and attendance systems.
• Knowledge of taxable fringe benefits and stock transactions.
• Knowledge of FLSA and wage-hour and tax regulations.
• Intermediate Excel skills (VLOOKUP, pivot tables).

Responsibilities

• Ensure timely processing of multi-state, multi-company payrolls for non-union employees (salary, hourly, freelance).
• Perform pre-payroll audits of earnings, deductions, benefits, and tax setups.
• Process on-demand, retroactive, and one-time payments; manage direct deposit reversals and stop payments.
• Interpret withholding orders for levies, garnishments, and child support; respond to inquiries.
• Provide payroll expertise, resolve issues, and conduct root-cause analysis.
• Assist with testing during new timekeeping system implementation and team training.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls, and SOX controls.

Skills

Payroll processing

Multi-state payroll

Garnishments & tax setups

Excel (VLOOKUP & pivots)

Tools

Workday Payroll

Job description

Job Summary

Our client, a leading media and entertainment company, is seeking a Senior Payroll Associate to join their team. This is a 6-month contract to hire opportunity (August 2026 through February 2027). The Senior Payroll Specialist performs a variety of functions necessary for the accurate and timely processing of multi-state, multi-company, weekly and bi-weekly payrolls for non-union employees, coordinating and implementing work procedures that require comprehensive operational knowledge of federal and state regulations related to wage garnishment, taxation, and wage-hour law. While there are no direct people-management responsibilities, this role coordinates independently with associates, leaders, and teams outside of Payroll Shared Services to meet deadlines, champion process improvement initiatives, and enhance the employee experience.

Core Responsibilities

• Ensure timely and accurate processing of multi-state, multi-company bi-weekly and weekly payrolls for non-union salary, hourly, and freelance employees in compliance with company policies and federal, state, and local regulations
• Perform detailed pre-payroll processing audits of earnings, deductions, benefits, garnishments, and tax setups to prevent pay-impacting errors
• Process on-demand payments, retroactive payments, one-time payments, taxable fringe benefits, tax adjustments, equity-based compensation, stop payments, voided checks, direct deposit reversals, and overpayment collections
• Interpret and set up withholding orders for levies, garnishments, child support, and other involuntary wage assignment orders within the regulated period, responding to vendor inquiries as needed
• Serve as a go‑to expert for payroll questions, including taxation of employee payments, managing timely resolution of customer issues and escalations, performing and documenting Root Cause Analysis, and implementing remedial procedures
• Provide testing support during the implementation of a new timekeeping system and assist with team training
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, internal controls, and SOX controls

Required Skills/Experience (Must-Haves)

• 4+ years of hands‑on payroll processing experience, preferably in the media or entertainment industry
• Experience interpreting and setting up withholding orders for levies, garnishments, child support, and other involuntary wage assignment orders
• Experience and knowledge of California labor laws
• Experience and knowledge of automated time and attendance systems
• Strong working knowledge of taxable fringe benefits and processing of stock transactions
• Strong working knowledge of FLSA and federal, state, and local wage-hour and tax regulations
• Intermediate Excel skills, including VLOOKUP and pivot tables

Preferred Skills/Experience (Nice-to-Haves)

• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation
• Experience with Workday Payroll
• Experience initiating and leading standardization and process improvement initiatives

Key Competencies & Behaviors

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent judgment, analytical, and problem‑solving skills
• Strong interpersonal skills — approachable, responsive, and team‑focused
• High degree of professionalism, with a strong track record of delivering quality customer service
• Ability to establish and maintain effective, collaborative working relationships across teams

Work Environment

• Location: New York, NY
• Onsite

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Range: The approximate pay range for this position is between $31.00 and $45.00 per hour. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to background, knowledge, skills, and location. We comply with local wage minimums.

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance Plans
• Employee‑Owned Profit Sharing (ESOP)
• 401K offered

About KellyMitchell

At KellyMitchell, our culture is world class. We’re movers and shakers! We don’t mind a bit of friendly competition, and we reward hard work with unlimited potential for growth. This is an exciting opportunity to join a company known for innovative solutions and unsurpassed customer service. We're passionate about helping companies solve their biggest IT staffing & project solutions challenges. As an employee‑owned, women‑led organization serving Fortune 500 companies nationwide, we deliver expert service at a moment's notice.