Payroll & Accounting Specialist

Payroll & Accounting Specialist

Responsabilities
* Owns assigned payroll processing activities and ensures payroll is completed accurately, timely, and in accordance with established schedules and controls.
* Processes payroll data from applicable systems and maintains accurate and current employee payroll records.
* Owns the payroll processing calendar and proactively coordinates required inputs, approvals, and deadlines with HR, Operations, Finance, and other stakeholders.
* Performs pre-processing and post-processing payroll audits, including validation of hours, pay rates, deductions, taxes, incentives, reimbursements, garnishments, accruals, and other payroll activity.
* Investigates unusual payroll activity, discrepancies, and variances; resolves issues or escalates material concerns prior to payroll finalization.
* Maintains payroll schedules and payment calculations for employees with specialized compensation arrangements.
* Reviews payroll tax activity, verifies required documentation, and ensures approved tax changes are accurately reflected in the payroll system.
* Reviews and reconciles employee benefit and retirement plan activity to confirm elections, deductions, contributions, and changes are accurately reflected.
* Processes routine payroll activities, including payroll adjustments, garnishments, supplemental payments, and off-cycle payments.
* Prepares and records payroll journal entries and reconciles payroll activity between payroll and accounting systems.
* Reviews and maintains employee accrual balances in accordance with applicable policies and investigates discrepancies as needed.
* Responds to payroll inquiries and provides payroll information and documentation to employees, management, auditors, and authorized outside parties as appropriate.
* Serves as a key Finance resource for UKG payroll and timekeeping processes, including data validation, troubleshooting, reporting, and ongoing system optimization.
* Partners with HR to validate employee lifecycle changes affecting payroll, including hires, terminations, compensation changes, employment status, tax elections, deductions, benefits, PTO/accruals, and other employee data.
* Identifies system or process issues affecting payroll accuracy and works through resolution with internal stakeholders and UKG support or other external providers as appropriate.
* Develops and maintains payroll procedures, checklists, calendars, controls, and supporting documentation to promote consistent processing, effective cross-training, and business continuity.
* Processes accounts payable activity and supports accurate and timely vendor payments.
* Records and maintains banking and credit card activity and assists with related reconciliations.
* Monitors internal expense activity and follows up as needed to ensure expense reports and supporting documentation are timely and complete.
* Records client payments, monitors outstanding receivables, and supports collection activities.
* Processes recurring and special client invoicing, including related billing adjustments, credits, and rebates as needed.
* Maintains customer billing information and supports regular and ad-hoc client reporting and other client accounting requirements.
* Supports month-end close activities, account reconciliations, audit requests, and other Finance department priorities as assigned.
* Maintains confidentiality and supports compliance with applicable payroll, wage and hour, financial, and recordkeeping requirements.
* Maintains current standard operating procedures, payroll calendars, reconciliation documentation, process maps, and backup instructions for assigned responsibilities.
* Ensures critical payroll and accounting processes are documented sufficiently to support cross-training and business continuity.
* Identifies opportunities to improve processes, system utilization, internal controls, and operational efficiency and takes an active role in implementing improvements.
* Supports audits, system implementations, process changes, and other Finance department initiatives as needed.
* Communicates proactively when deadlines, discrepancies, or risks arise and follows issues through resolution.
* Takes ownership and follows responsibilities through completion without requiring significant day-to-day oversight.
* Consistently produces accurate work and independently checks and validates results.
* Raises issues early and communicates proactively rather than allowing problems to become deadline driven.
* Balances urgency with precision, particularly when processing payroll and handling employee or client financial information.
* Builds trust through reliability, confidentiality, responsiveness, collaboration, and follow-through.
* Looks for solutions and process improvements rather than simply identifying problems.
* Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field preferred; equivalent payroll and accounting experience will be considered.
* Minimum of 3-5