Temporary Payroll Specialist

Major Drilling•Salt Lake City, UT

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Temporary Payroll Specialist with a strong background in payroll tax administration, multi-state compliance, and unemployment processing. This role is responsible for executing accurate payroll processing while ensuring full compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax laws. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience managing payroll taxes, resolving tax-related issues, and supporting audits and unemployment claims. This is a temporary position intended to support payroll operations during a defined coverage or transition period.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
5+ years of payroll experience, with significant exposure to payroll taxes and compliance.
Strong working knowledge of ADP payroll systems.
Proven experience with multi-state payroll tax administration.
Knowledge of unemployment insurance processes and reporting.
Solid understanding of federal, state, and local payroll tax and labor regulations.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
Exceptional attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.
Strong organizational, time management, and multitasking skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Administer payroll tax processing, including federal, state, and local withholdings.
Maintain and update employee tax elections, exemptions, and withholding status in the payroll system.
Support multi-state payroll taxation, ensuring proper setup, withholding, and compliance with state and local tax jurisdictions.
Assist with payroll tax filings, corrections, adjustments, and year-end processes (including W-2 accuracy).
Research and resolve payroll tax discrepancies by reviewing historical records and collaborating with internal teams or vendors as needed.
Support unemployment insurance processes, including providing wage data, payroll documentation, and timely responses to unemployment claims.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, payroll regulations, and reporting requirements.
Assist with audits, inquiries, or reviews related to payroll tax, unemployment, or regulatory compliance.
Stay informed of regulatory changes impacting payroll taxes and compliance requirements.
Create and maintain payroll records for new hires, including tax setup and system onboarding.
Update payroll system data to reflect employee changes such as transfers, terminations, resignations, and status changes.
Track employee absences, including personal time, sick leave, jury duty, and extended leaves of absence.
Maintain accurate, up-to-date, and confidential payroll records in compliance with legal and company standards.
Serve as a primary point of contact for employee questions related to payroll, taxes, W‑2s, deductions, and leave balances.
Work closely with Human Resources to ensure consistency and accuracy of employee data.
Provide payroll-related administrative support to the accounting department.
Process payroll accurately and on schedule for hourly and salaried employees.
Review and validate weekly timesheets across all departments; follow up to resolve discrepancies prior to payroll processing.
Calculate payable hours, overtime, commissions, bonuses, retroactive pay, and adjustments.
Prepare and distribute earnings statements, paychecks, and direct deposit payments.
Perform monthly payroll reconciliations and support payroll audits.