Payroll Specialist (Contractor)

Harbor Compliance

11h

About The Position

Harbor Compliance is seeking an experienced Payroll & Multi-State Tax Compliance Specialist for a 6-month independent contract engagement. In this role, you will assume full ownership of our end-to-end payroll operations, processing 30+ complex monthly runs for domestic employees, global contractors, commissions, and bonuses. Your primary focus will be managing multi-state tax compliance, mitigating audit risks, and standardizing our processes through robust documentation. This dedicated contract role provides critical coverage during an upcoming maternity leave and serves to restore strategic capacity to our core People Operations team.

Requirements

2–4 years of direct experience managing high-volume, multi-state payroll processing across various employment types.
Proven track record handling state tax registrations, remittances, filing-frequency rules, and resolving state agency notices.
Hands-on experience administering 401(k) match processing, complex garnishments, and benefits deduction reconciliations.
Deep operational familiarity with modern HRIS platforms, specifically managing configurations and system limits.
Demonstrable experience executing year-end processing, W-2 reconciliations, and avoiding amended filings.
Proficient with intermediate Excel functions (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables) to audit large datasets and manage payroll reporting.

Nice To Haves

Advanced, hands-on experience with Rippling payroll configuration and a strong understanding of its TPA and Contractor of Record (COR) models.
Direct experience managing payroll integrations, historical data migrations, or account setups related to corporate acquisitions.
Solid foundational knowledge of FLSA rules, multi-state wage and hour laws, and independent contractor compliance limits.

Responsibilities

Execute all multi-cadence domestic payroll runs (salaried, hourly, contractors, commissions) and coordinate global contractor pay.
Administer ad-hoc and off-cycle runs including bonuses, retroactive adjustments, and termination pay inline with state timelines.
Own the setup, maintenance, and closure of state payroll tax accounts, directly interacting with state agencies to remediate issues.
Serve as the hands-on administrator for Rippling payroll configurations, workflow automations, and credential hygiene (MFA/TPA access).
Maintain 401(k) deferrals, benefits, and garnishments in the HRIS, ensuring zero-variance reconciliation against carrier invoices each cycle.
Onboard acquisition payrolls within strict integration timelines, handling historical data imports and retroactive rectifications without disruption.
Support the broader team with payroll reporting, people analytics, offer letter variable calculations, and compensation band refreshes.
Build and maintain a current, comprehensive runbook for all pay-run types and state tax accounts to ensure seamless operational continuity.