Senior Payroll & Compensation Specialist

AB Staffing Solutions; Gilbert (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AB Staffing Solutions seeks a Senior Payroll & Compensation Specialist to own key payroll functions and serve as the primary resource for compensation requests across the organization. The role focuses on accurate, timely payroll while taking on compensation responsibilities.

You will analyze market data, establish salary ranges, monitor bonuses, and partner with HR and Finance to drive fair, data-driven compensation decisions across multiple business units.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in payroll, compensation or related fields.
• End-to-end payroll process knowledge.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong Excel and data handling.
• High attention to detail and confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Manage and support regular payroll processing to ensure accurate and on time pay.
• Audit payroll data, correct discrepancies, and reconcile payroll.
• Process new hires, terminations, and compensation changes.
• Conduct market-rate analysis and establish salary ranges for open positions.
• Provide compensation reporting and insights to HR and leadership.
• Support annual merit, compensation reviews and bonus processes.
• Partner with Finance, HR and Talent Acquisition for cross-functional initiatives.

Skills

Payroll

Compensation analysis

Data analysis

Attention to detail

Excel

Communication

Tools

UKG Pro

UKG Workforce Management

HRIS

Job description

We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Senior Payroll & Compensation Specialist to own and support key payroll functions while also serving as the primary resource for compensation-related requests across the organization. The primary focus of this position will be payroll. This individual will help ensure employees are paid accurately and on time, maintain strong payroll processes and controls and serve as a trusted resource for payroll-related questions. Because payroll processing may not require a full 40-hour workload each week, this role will also take ownership of several compensation-related responsibilities currently supported by other areas of the business. These responsibilities will include compensation requests, market-rate analysis, salary benchmarking and bonus monitoring. The ideal candidate is someone with a strong payroll foundation who is also comfortable working with compensation data, researching market trends and providing thoughtful, data-driven support to Human Resources and business leaders.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll

• Manage and support regular payroll processing to ensure employees are paid accurately and on time
• Review payroll information including earnings, deductions, taxes, bonuses and employee changes for accuracy
• Audit payroll prior to processing and research or correct discrepancies as needed
• Process new hires, terminations, compensation changes, bonuses and other payroll adjustments
• Respond to payroll questions from employees and leaders in a timely and professional manner
• Maintain accurate payroll records and supporting documentation
• Assist with payroll reconciliations and reporting
• Support month-end, quarter-end and year-end payroll activities
• Ensure payroll processes comply with applicable federal, state and local requirements
• Partner with Finance and Human Resources when payroll issues require cross-functional support
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, controls, efficiency and documentation
• Help create consistent and scalable payroll processes across the organization

Compensation

• Serve as the primary resource for compensation-related requests across the organization
• Conduct market-rate analysis for new positions, promotions, salary adjustments and other compensation requests
• Research external salary data and market benchmarks to help support compensation decisions
• Partner with Human Resources and Talent Acquisition to establish appropriate salary ranges for open positions
• Review internal compensation data to help maintain consistency across roles, departments and business units
• Provide data and recommendations to support compensation decisions
• Track and monitor employee bonuses and other incentive compensation programs
• Maintain accurate records related to bonuses, compensation changes and salary structures
• Support annual merit, compensation review and bonus processes as needed
• Assist with the development and maintenance of salary ranges and compensation structures
• Provide compensation reporting and analysis to Human Resources and leadership
• Monitor market trends and help identify positions or areas where compensation may need further review

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with Human Resources, Finance, FP&A, Talent Acquisition and business leaders
• Help transition compensation-related requests into a more centralized Human Resources process
• Provide leaders with accurate payroll and compensation information to support business decisions
• Communicate complex payroll or compensation information in a clear and practical way
• Maintain a high level of discretion when working with confidential employee and compensation information

Qualifications

• 3+ years of payroll, compensation or related experience
• Strong payroll experience with an understanding of end-to-end payroll processes
• Experience researching compensation or market salary data preferredStrong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Strong Excel skills and comfort working with employee and compensation data
• Ability to manage deadlines and prioritize work around payroll cycles
• Strong communication skills and ability to work with employees and leaders at multiple levels
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of assigned responsibilities
• High level of confidentiality and professional judgment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting payroll in a multi-state organization
• Experience with UKG Pro, UKG Workforce Management or a similar payroll/HRIS platform
• Experience conducting market-rate or salary benchmarking analysis
• Experience supporting bonus or incentive compensation programs
• Experience partnering with Finance, FP&A or Talent Acquisition
• FPC, CPP, CCP or related certification is a plus

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means payroll is accurate, timely and well organized while compensation-related requests are handled consistently and efficiently within Human Resources.

Over time, this individual should become the organization's go-to resource for day-to-day payroll matters as well as compensation research, market analysis and bonus monitoring. The goal is to create a stronger internal process where leaders can receive reliable compensation guidance without relying on FP&A to manage routine compensation requests.