Payroll Specialist

BJ's Restaurants•Huntington Beach, CA

13d•Onsite

About The Position

At BJ’s Restaurants, the Payroll Specialist supports payroll for team members across multiple restaurant locations. The role processes high-volume payroll transactions accurately and on time, maintains payroll records, prepares final paychecks in compliance with state regulations, and responds to payroll questions from team members and leaders. It also supports payroll reporting, audits, compliance, employee transfers, and workflow improvements. The position is based at the Restaurant Support Center in Huntington Beach, Monday through Friday.

Requirements

Understanding of payroll processes, state overtime requirements, and payroll regulations.
Strong analytical skills and exceptional attention to detail.
Strong organization, time management, and follow-through.
Ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting daily, weekly, and monthly deadlines.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Excel.
Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively within a team.
Professional communication skills with employees at all levels of the organization.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and respond with a strong sense of urgency.

Nice To Haves

1–2 years of payroll-related experience.
Associate degree or higher.
Experience supporting payroll in a multi-state, multi-unit organization.
Experience with Workday.
Experience with ADP SmartCompliance.
Bilingual English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Process high-volume payroll transactions accurately and on time for team members across multiple restaurant locations.
Prepare and process final paychecks in compliance with state regulations.
Maintain payroll records, including team member information, hours worked, taxes, direct deposits, bonuses, incentives, and authorized deductions.
Research and resolve payroll questions while providing customer service to team members and leaders.
Prepare payroll reports and support payroll audits and compliance activities.
Process team member transfers between restaurants and departments.
Manage payroll workflows to meet deadlines while maintaining accuracy.
Help maintain payroll data integrity so team members are paid accurately and on time.
Support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations.
Identify and resolve payroll discrepancies through research, analysis, and collaboration with internal partners.
Build relationships with restaurant and Restaurant Support Center teams by providing responsive, professional payroll support.
Contribute to process improvements that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and the payroll experience.