Senior Payroll Specialist: Multi-State Expert & Projects

Relate Search; Cockeysville (MD); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Relate Search is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to own hands-on payroll processing for a large, multi-state workforce. You will act as a key resource for complex questions, ensuring accurate processing and regulatory compliance across federal, state, and local levels.

You will handle tax activities, wage attachments, and year-end processes while supporting payroll initiatives and collaborating with a payroll team of varying experience levels.

Qualifications

• 3–10+ years of payroll experience in a large, multi-state organization.
• Strong understanding of FLSA and payroll compliance.
• Experience with Certified Payroll and/or Davis-Bacon reporting.
• Experience supporting prevailing wage environments is highly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll taxes.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations, tax notices, wage attachments, and year-end processes.
• Experience working with a payroll/HRIS system (Dayforce preferred).
• Excellent Excel and general computer skills.

Responsibilities

• Process weekly payroll for a large, multi-state employee population.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for payroll-related questions from employees, internal teams, and external agencies.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately and in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Support payroll tax activities, including new tax account registrations and resolution of tax notices.
• Reconcile quarterly and year-end payroll reports.
• Prepare and process Certified Payroll Reports on a weekly basis.
• Support Davis-Bacon and prevailing wage requirements.
• Set up and audit wage attachments/garnishments.
• Provide payroll information and documentation to Finance for audit purposes.
• Research and resolve more complex payroll issues and questions.
• Provide backup support to the Director of Payroll.
• Assist with payroll-related projects, process improvements, and system initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with a payroll team that includes both junior and mid-level team members.

Skills

Multi-state payroll

FLSA compliance

Payroll tax knowledge

Excel

Confidential information handling

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Dayforce

Job description

Relate Search is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to own hands-on payroll processing for a large, multi-state workforce. You will act as a key resource for complex questions, ensuring accurate processing and regulatory compliance across federal, state, and local levels.

You will handle tax activities, wage attachments, and year-end processes while supporting payroll initiatives and collaborating with a payroll team of varying experience levels.