Payroll Administrator (Contract)

SOCOTEC•New York, NY

18d•Hybrid

About The Position

SOCOTEC is seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Payroll Administrator for a contract assignment with its Human Resources and Finance team. The role owns the end-to-end payroll process for salaried and hourly employees, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant pay. It also contributes to payroll-related projects, including system implementations, process improvements, and cross-functional initiatives, to help scale payroll operations efficiently and reliably. The position processes bi-weekly payroll, prepares management reports, investigates discrepancies, responds to employee payroll inquiries, and updates payroll and ERP records for employment changes. It also handles payroll tax registrations, supports HR and Benefits Operations projects, processes off-cycle payments, and provides backup coverage for other Payroll Administrators. The Payroll Administrator will also contribute to or lead projects involving payroll system implementation and migration, process improvement, project planning and tracking, stakeholder communication, risk management, documentation, and training. The assignment runs from October 2026 through January 2027. It is hybrid and based at SOCOTEC’s New York City office.

Requirements

5–8 years of professional work experience, including hands-on payroll processing in a mid-to-large-size organization.
Advanced Excel skills, including working with large data sets, pivot tables, and formulas for reconciliation and reporting.
Strong analytical skills, meticulous attention to detail, and a commitment to data accuracy.
Deep working knowledge of state and federal payroll laws, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.
Ability to learn and navigate payroll, HRIS, and ERP systems.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain payroll matters clearly to employees at all levels.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to research and resolve issues independently.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a cross-functional team.
Ability to handle highly confidential information professionally and discreetly.
Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines and adapt to shifting priorities while maintaining quality and accountability.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Paylocity and/or ADP Workforce Now; experience with other payroll/HRIS platforms is also considered.
Prior involvement in payroll system implementations, migrations, or process improvement projects.
Demonstrated project management skills, including planning, prioritization, and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

Accurately process bi-weekly payroll for salaried and hourly employees, including earnings, deductions, and taxes.
Create specialized payroll reports for management, including labor cost summaries, headcount analyses, and ad hoc reports.
Identify, investigate, and report payroll discrepancies, partnering with HR and Finance to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
Serve as the primary contact for employee payroll inquiries about pay, deductions, and tax withholdings.
Process new hires, terminations, salary changes, promotions, and other employment status updates in payroll and ERP systems.
Complete and maintain payroll tax registrations with state and local municipalities.
Support the HR/Benefits Operations team on projects and tasks, including open enrollment, audits, and compliance reporting.
Process out-of-cycle payments, including state-mandated final pay, termination payouts, and other time-sensitive disbursements.
Provide backup coverage for other Payroll Administrators during absences or peak processing periods.
Perform other duties as assigned by a supervisor or manager.
Lead or support payroll system implementations and migrations, including data validation, parallel testing, and go-live support.
Coordinate project timelines and deliverables with HR, Finance, and IT stakeholders.
Identify opportunities for payroll process improvements and automation; design, pilot, and implement enhanced workflows.
Develop and maintain project plans, track milestones, deliverables, and budgets, and flag risks or delays.
Prepare and deliver project status updates, dashboards, and post-implementation reports.
Assess and mitigate payroll project risks involving data integrity, compliance exposure, and business continuity, and develop contingency plans as needed.
Create and maintain process documentation, standard operating procedures, and training materials, and deliver training sessions.
Promote continuous improvement by soliciting feedback, measuring project outcomes, and refining processes after launch.