Payroll Specialist

Central States Funds•Chicago, IL

18d•$65,000 - $85,000

About The Position

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for accurate and timely payroll processing for unionized hourly employees, unionized salaried employees, and non-union salaried exempt employees. The role ensures compliance with collective bargaining agreements, company policies, and applicable payroll regulations. In addition to transactional payroll work, the specialist helps streamline payroll processes, identify HRIS efficiencies, and use reporting and data analysis to support payroll operations and continuous improvement. The position processes weekly payroll, handles employee payroll changes, applies union agreements and wage-and-hour laws, supports year-end payroll activities in Workday and UKG, responds to payroll inquiries, and performs payroll audits and reconciliations. The specialist also develops procedures and job aids and partners with the HR Payroll Manager on HRIS optimization, system testing, and the transition from UKG to Workday.

Requirements

At least 3 years of progressive payroll experience supporting union and non-union populations, with demonstrated ability to resolve complex pay discrepancies.
Strong knowledge of payroll regulations, wage-and-hour laws, and collective bargaining agreements.
Hands-on experience with HRIS payroll platforms, including Workday and UKG, and involvement in system implementations or payroll process redesign.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and payroll reporting tools.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
High attention to detail and ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in HR, Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
CPP or FPC certification.
Multi-state payroll experience.

Responsibilities

Process weekly payroll for union and non-union hourly and salaried employees, applying wage rates, overtime, shift differentials, premiums, retroactive pay, and other earnings in accordance with collective bargaining agreements and company policies.
Manage payroll changes for hires, terminations, promotions, transfers, and union status updates, including calculation and withholding of union dues, benefit deductions, garnishments, and related items.
Interpret and apply collective bargaining agreements and federal, state, and local wage-and-hour laws, including the FLSA, to payroll processing and employee pay inquiries.
Partner with Total Rewards, Finance, and Pension teams on year-end processing, compensation cycles, audits, retirement transitions, and other cross-functional initiatives.
Respond professionally and confidentially to employee payroll inquiries and serve as a payroll subject matter resource for HR and business leaders.
Complete year-end payroll responsibilities in Workday and UKG.
Perform regular payroll audits to validate pay, deductions, and system configurations.
Review payroll registers, variance reports, and exception reports before payroll submission.
Identify discrepancies, research root causes, and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Support internal audits by providing payroll documentation, reports, and reconciliations.
Evaluate payroll workflows and procedures to identify process improvements and efficiency gains.
Partner with the HR Payroll Manager to optimize Workday configurations, pay rules, and automation, and support system testing, transition, and implementation activities from UKG to Workday, including integrations, configuration changes, and updates.
Develop and maintain payroll procedures, job aids, and documentation to support consistent processing.
Use HRIS payroll reporting tools to support payroll operations, audits, and compliance requirements, and analyze data to identify risks, inefficiencies, and recurring payroll issues.