Senior Payroll Specialist

Grvty; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Financial wellness

Retirement planning

Family assistance

Continued education

Paid time off

Job summary

GRVTY is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to own payroll across multiple entities and states, including ADP Workforce Now administration and Unanet timekeeping. You will manage the payroll calendar, ensure accuracy, and drive process improvements within a GovCon environment.

You will handle off-cycle payments, tax reconciliations, and year-end tasks, while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local rules.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on payroll experience, including multi-state, multi-entity & multi-pay date processing.
• Government contracting experience, including timekeeping and labor charging under DCAA requirements (required).
• Hands-on experience with ADP Workforce Now and Unanet or a similar GovCon timekeeping system (Unanet preferred).
• Strong knowledge of multi-state payroll tax, wage-and-hour rules, and retirement plan deductions.

Responsibilities

• Own payroll from start to finish for multiple entities and states in ADP Workforce Now.
• Audit master data changes, earnings, taxes and benefit deductions to reconcile variances.
• Serve as a primary Unanet timesheet administrator and enforce deadlines.
• Apply federal, state and local payroll rules across multiple states and support audits.
• Answer employee pay questions promptly and resolve issues before escalation.

Skills

Multi-state payroll

GovCon payroll knowledge

ADP Workforce Now

Unanet timekeeping

Payroll auditing

CPP or FPC certification

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Unanet

Job description

What You’ll Be Owning

We’re looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist to own payroll for a growing group of government contracting companies. You’ll run multi-state, multi-entity & multi-pay date payroll from start to finish, administer timekeeping, and help shape our processes as we grow. This is a high-autonomy role: you’ll manage your own desk, set your priorities around the payroll calendar, and make decisions without waiting to be told what’s next. If you know GovCon payroll well, enjoy getting the details right, and want real ownership instead of a narrow piece of the process, this role is for you.

• Own payroll from start to finish. Process payroll for multiple entities and states in ADP Workforce Now, from data prep and audit through approval and transmission.
• Work independently. Manage your payroll calendar/deliverables and workload with minimal oversight, spot issues before they’re raised, and see them through to resolution.
• Catch problems before they reach a paycheck. Audit master data changes, earnings, taxes and benefit deductions. Reconcile variances between ADP, benefit providers and 401(k) files before each payroll goes out.
• Run timekeeping. Serve as a primary Unanet timesheet administrator. Monitor submissions, enforce deadlines, run floor checks, and make sure labor is charged and distributed correctly, in line with DCAA requirements.
• Keep us compliant. Apply federal, state and local payroll and wage-and-hour rules across multiple states. Produce recurring reports and support internal, external and government audits.
• Partner across the company. Work with HR, Finance, Accounting and employees as the go-to person for payroll questions.
• Handle adjustments and special payments. Process off-cycle checks, retro pay, corrections, garnishments and final pay accurately and within state deadlines.
• Support quarter-end and year-end. Help with tax reconciliations, W-2 review, and year-end close for each entity.
• Answer employee pay questions. Respond to employee questions about pay, taxes, deductions and timesheets quickly and accurately, and resolve issues before they escalated.

What You Must Have

• 5+ years of hands-on payroll experience, including multi-state, multi-entity & multi-pay date processing
• A self-starter who works well independently: you research answers, use available resources, and solve problems without needing step-by-step direction
• Government contracting experience, including timekeeping and labor charging under DCAA requirements (required)
• Hands-on experience with ADP Workforce Now and Unanet or a similar GovCon timekeeping system (Unanet preferred)
• Strong knowledge of multi-state payroll tax, wage-and-hour rules, and retirement plan deductions
• A track record of meeting fixed payroll deadlines with little to no supervision
• CPP or FPC certification preferred

What Success Looks Like

• You don’t wait for direction. You know what’s due, what’s at risk, and what needs attention, and you act on it.
• Payrolls go out accurately and on time, with variances resolved before processing starts.
• Timesheet deadlines are met because you follow up early and hold people to them.
• You solve problems at the root and document the fix so they don’t come back.
• You stay calm and organized as we add companies and complexity.

Pay Range:

At GRVTY, we understand that compensation is influenced by many factors- such as geographic location, federal contract labor categories, wage rates, prior experience, skillsets, education, and certifications. We’re proud to offer a work environment that empowers our team to achieve a strong work-life balance. GRVTY provides competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and meaningful opportunities for professional growth. Our benefits package is designed to support the well-being of our employees and their families, and includes coverage in areas such as

• healthcare
• financial wellness
• retirement planning
• family assistance
• continued education
• paid time off