Senior Payroll Specialist

WERC; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 64,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Arnold & Porter is a global law firm seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to manage end-to-end processing of all U.S. payrolls, including multi-state payrolls, tax elections, and deductions. This role partners with HR, Benefits, and Accounting in a fast-paced professional environment.

The ideal candidate has 8+ years of payroll experience, CPP preferred, UKG expertise, and advanced Excel skills. Remote work is possible in a firm-approved U.S. state, with discretionary bonus potential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in accounting/finance or related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive payroll experience.
• Experience in a law firm or professional services environment preferred.
• CPP preferred; FPC accepted.
• Experience with multi-state payroll and tax compliance.
• Proficient with UKG (Kronos/Ultimate Software) or similar HRIS.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end processing of all U.S. payrolls, including multi-state payrolls.
• Review and approve employee tax elections and deductions.
• Analyze payroll data to resolve discrepancies before processing.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax laws.
• Support payroll audits and maintain audit-ready records.
• Prepare payroll workpapers and reconciliations for each cycle.
• Coordinate with HR on salary changes, leave, onboarding, and terminations.
• Collaborate with Benefits and Accounting to ensure accurate payroll deductions.
• Respond to payroll inquiries and explain calculations clearly.
• Stay current on payroll regulations and FLSA requirements.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Project management

Client service mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or related field

Tools

UKG/Kronos

Excel advanced

Job description

Arnold & Porter is a global law firm with offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The firm advises clients on complex regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters across a broad range of industries, including more than half of the Fortune 100.

The Finance & Accounting Department is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to manage the accurate and timely processing of all U.S. payrolls, including multi-state payroll compliance, year-end reporting, and payroll-related reconciliations. This role partners closely with Human Resources, Benefits, and Accounting and requires strong payroll expertise, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced professional services environment.

This position may work fully remote in a firm-approved U.S. state.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end processing of all U.S. payrolls, including multi-state payrolls, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Review and approve employee tax elections, direct deposit changes, deductions, final pay, and PTO payouts.
• Analyze payroll data to identify and resolve discrepancies before payroll processing.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax and wage laws, including multi-jurisdiction requirements.
• Support payroll audits and maintain internal controls and audit-ready payroll records.
• Prepare payroll workpapers, uploads, reconciliations, and supporting documentation for each payroll cycle.
• Partner with Human Resources on salary changes, leave administration, onboarding, and terminations.
• Coordinate with Benefits to ensure accurate payroll deductions.
• Work with Accounting to resolve payroll issues and support accurate general ledger posting.
• Maintain payroll tracking tools and reconciliation documents, including manual check logs.
• Respond to employee and management payroll inquiries and explain payroll calculations and deductions clearly.
• Complete employment verifications as requested.
• Stay current on payroll tax regulations, wage and hour laws, and FLSA requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive payroll experience required.
• Experience in a law firm or professional services environment strongly preferred.
• CPP certification preferred; FPC certification accepted.
• Strong experience processing multi-state payrolls and managing related tax compliance.
• Proficiency with UKG (formerly Kronos/Ultimate Software) or a similar enterprise payroll/HRIS platform.
• Advanced Excel skills, including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data validation, and CSV/template creation.
• Ability to troubleshoot payroll system, interface, and file transmission issues.
• Strong understanding of payroll taxes, gross-to-net calculations, payroll accounting, and wage and hour compliance.
• Experience preparing payroll journal entries and reconciling payroll liability accounts.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple payroll cycles and meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with a client-service mindset.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Flexibility to work additional hours during peak payroll periods and year-end processing.
• Reliable team player who can work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

The anticipated base salary for this position is $63,680 to $90,000 working a 37.5-hour work week. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

For benefits information, please click here https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/careers/professional-staff/benefits.

As a nonexempt position, this position is eligible for overtime.

The firm may provide a discretionary bonus annually.