Payroll Specialist

Acrisure•Naperville, IL

10d•Onsite

About The Position

Acrisure is seeking a Payroll Associate in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to support accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for an assigned employee population and set of business units. The role owns assigned payrolls, performs full-cycle payroll activities within established guidelines, maintains payroll data integrity, and serves as a key contact for payroll inquiries. It operates in a fast-paced, high-volume, multi-entity environment. The position processes regular payrolls, off-cycle payments, corrections, and recurring commissions; reviews payroll inputs; resolves discrepancies; maintains records; and supports compliance, audits, reconciliations, year-end reporting, and timekeeping. It also responds to employee and stakeholder inquiries, provides customer support, follows internal controls and deadlines, and communicates recurring operational issues to Payroll leadership. Candidates should be comfortable working on-site to support collaboration and cross-functional partnership.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience with multi-state payroll processing or high-volume payroll environments.
Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills.
Proven attention to detail and accuracy in transactional work.
Ability to manage multiple payroll cycles and deadlines simultaneously.
Experience working with confidential and sensitive information.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, including data validation, formulas, and reconciliation support.
Three to five years of payroll, HR, accounting, finance, or related operational experience.
High school diploma or equivalent.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with a payroll system such as Workday, ADP, UKG, or similar.
Experience supporting multi-entity payroll structures or complex payroll inputs.
Experience with full-cycle and high-volume payroll processing, approximately 3,000 employees.
Exposure to payroll compliance, audits, and reporting activities.
Experience in a centralized payroll function supporting distributed business units.
Associate's or bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Independently process assigned payrolls across multiple frequencies and entities for a designated employee population.
Serve as the primary payroll contact for assigned business units, divisions, and/or agency partners, resolving payroll-related needs in a timely manner.
Compile, review, and validate hours, earnings, deductions, tax elections, and adjustments for accuracy and compliance.
Perform full-cycle payroll activities, including regular payroll runs, off-cycle payments, and corrections within defined thresholds.
Research and resolve routine-to-moderately complex payroll discrepancies and escalate matters outside established parameters.
Maintain accurate payroll records and system data across HRIS and payroll platforms.
Process recurring commission payments, validate commission data, and work with Finance and business leaders to resolve discrepancies before payroll processing.
Ensure payroll transactions comply with federal, state, and local regulations, internal policies, and controls.
Execute payroll audits and reconciliations, identify variances, and resolve them within established parameters.
Support year-end activities, including W-2 validation, reporting, and audit preparation for assigned scope.
Prepare and distribute standard payroll reports.
Maintain and validate employee time records or timekeeping data and support corrections before payroll processing.
Respond to payroll inquiries through ServiceNow and other channels, explaining payroll policies, procedures, and pay outcomes accurately and promptly.
Escalate complex, high-risk, or policy-sensitive issues and document inquiries, actions, and resolutions.
Follow payroll procedures and internal controls, monitor assigned payroll cycles, and meet accuracy and deadline requirements.
Identify recurring issues or inefficiencies and communicate observations to Payroll leadership.
Participate in training and cross-functional learning to strengthen payroll expertise and system proficiency.