Senior Payroll Specialist

Davis H. Elliot Company, Inc.; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Company Paid Life Insurance

Job summary

Davis H. Elliot Company, Inc. is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to manage payroll across multiple states in a highly manual environment.

You will audit, process, and validate complex payroll data while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The role requires strong Excel skills, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to handle large volumes of payroll with accuracy. Collaboration with HR, Finance, Operations, and vendors is essential to optimize processes

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including multi-state payroll processing.
• Strong knowledge of payroll regulations, payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, and payroll compliance requirements.
• Experience working in a high-volume payroll environment requiring substantial manual review, reconciliation, and data entry.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including reporting, data validation, reconciliations, and analysis.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to payroll accuracy.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and consistently meet deadlines.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining a high level of accuracy and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Process biweekly, weekly, semi-monthly, and off-cycle payrolls accurately and on schedule.
• Perform extensive manual payroll processing, calculations, audits, reconciliations, and payroll data validation.
• Review earnings, deductions, garnishments, taxes, benefit deductions, and other payroll transactions for accuracy.
• Validate employee hours, compensation data, shift differentials, payroll adjustments, and special pay items.
• Process payroll corrections, retroactive pay adjustments, supplemental payrolls, and manual checks as needed.
• Conduct detailed payroll audits and reconciliations to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations and wage and hour requirements.
• Maintain payroll records, documentation, and audit trails in accordance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Coordinate payroll activities with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and third-party payroll vendors.
• Review payroll tax notices and assist with payroll tax compliance activities and reporting requirements.
• Support quarterly and annual payroll reporting, including W-2 processing and payroll reconciliations.
• Research and resolve employee payroll questions, discrepancies, and complex payroll issues.
• Assist with payroll system testing, upgrades, implementations, and process improvements.
• Generate payroll reports, metrics, and analyses for business leaders and stakeholders.
• Train and support employees, managers, and business partners regarding payroll processes and policies.
• Support payroll audits and provide documentation to auditors, vendors, and regulatory agencies.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, controls, and employee experience.
• Perform other payroll, accounting, and administrative duties as assigned

Skills

Payroll processing

Data entry

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Excel skills

Education

Accounting/Finance/HR degree

Job description

The Davis H. Elliot Company, Inc. is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to support accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across a multi-state workforce. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented payroll professional who thrives in a highly manual payroll environment and enjoys working with complex payroll data, reconciliations, audits, and compliance requirements. The Senior Payroll Specialist serves as a key resource for payroll processing, reporting, problem resolution, and continuous process improvement while partnering closely with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and external vendors.

The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing and auditing payroll with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail. This position performs extensive manual payroll calculations, reconciliations, payroll tax administration, compliance reporting, and payroll issue resolution. The role requires strong analytical skills, exceptional accuracy, and the ability to manage large volumes of payroll data while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The Senior Payroll Specialist also serves as a payroll subject matter expert and helps identify opportunities to enhance payroll processes, controls, and operational efficiency.

Overview

The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing and auditing payroll with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail. This position performs extensive manual payroll calculations, reconciliations, payroll tax administration, compliance reporting, and payroll issue resolution. The role requires strong analytical skills, exceptional accuracy, and the ability to manage large volumes of payroll data while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The Senior Payroll Specialist also serves as a payroll subject matter expert and helps identify opportunities to enhance payroll processes, controls, and operational efficiency.

A Day In The Life

• Process biweekly, weekly, semi-monthly, and off-cycle payrolls accurately and on schedule
• Perform extensive manual payroll processing, calculations, audits, reconciliations, and payroll data validation
• Review earnings, deductions, garnishments, taxes, benefit deductions, and other payroll transactions for accuracy
• Validate employee hours, compensation data, shift differentials, payroll adjustments, and special pay items
• Process payroll corrections, retroactive pay adjustments, supplemental payrolls, and manual checks as needed
• Conduct detailed payroll audits and reconciliations to identify and resolve discrepancies
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations and wage and hour requirements
• Maintain payroll records, documentation, and audit trails in accordance with company policies and legal requirements
• Coordinate payroll activities with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and third-party payroll vendors
• Review payroll tax notices and assist with payroll tax compliance activities and reporting requirements
• Support quarterly and annual payroll reporting, including W-2 processing and payroll reconciliations
• Research and resolve employee payroll questions, discrepancies, and complex payroll issues
• Assist with payroll system testing, upgrades, implementations, and process improvements
• Generate payroll reports, metrics, and analyses for business leaders and stakeholders
• Train and support employees, managers, and business partners regarding payroll processes and policies
• Support payroll audits and provide documentation to auditors, vendors, and regulatory agencies
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, controls, and employee experience
• Perform other payroll, accounting, and administrative duties as assigned

Qualifications & Skills:

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including multi-state payroll processing
• Strong knowledge of payroll regulations, payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, and payroll compliance requirements
• Experience working in a high-volume payroll environment requiring substantial manual review, reconciliation, and data entry
• Strong payroll auditing, reconciliation, and discrepancy resolution experience
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including reporting, data validation, reconciliations, and analysis
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to payroll accuracy
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and consistently meet deadlines
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work independently while maintaining a high level of accuracy and accountability

Benefits & Culture

Our success is based on our customers' confidence in us, our people's loyalty, hard work, and performance, and the traditions with which Mr. Davis H. Elliot began the company in 1946. We know that strong teams are built by fostering a culture of respect, collaboration, and shared success. Some of the benefits we offer our team include:

• Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Company Paid Life Insurance w/ additional Voluntary Life Insurance