Payroll Specialist

Makers Pride•Downers Grove, IL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Payroll Specialist ensures accurate payroll processing by auditing employee hours, verifying tax compliance, and managing pay disbursements. This role coordinates closely with HR Data Administrators and field locations to resolve issues, maintain accurate payroll records, and ensure timely payment to employees.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or equivalent in accounting, finance, HR, or related field, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
2+ years of payroll experience.
Experience must include payroll processing, payroll tax, and compliance responsibilities.
Proficiency in payroll systems is required, with Dayforce experience preferred.
Strong skills in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, for reporting and data analysis.
Exceptional attention to detail to ensure accuracy in payroll calculations and reporting.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills to interact effectively with employees, HR, and field locations.
Strong problem-solving abilities to resolve payroll discrepancies and escalated issues.
Deep knowledge of payroll tax regulations, compliance requirements, and best practices.
Ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Dayforce experience preferred.
Experience with union payroll and benefit administration.

Responsibilities

Run Dayforce audit reports and review for discrepancies.
Confirm terminations, transfers, and promotions for correct pay, deductions, and taxes.
Validate new hire tax setups, including home vs. work address, state, and local taxes.
Review total hours and pay against previous periods to identify significant variances.
Balance hours from Workforce Management (WFM) and Quality Entry (QE) to payroll registers.
Upload payroll files from field locations or admins and validate totals.
Enter pay cards on the Paycard Request Summary and save backups.
Manage payroll check reversals and stop pays in Dayforce as needed.
Reissue payments or pay cards when confirmed returned funds are available.
Assist HR Data Administrators and field locations with escalated payroll inquiries.
Respond to questions regarding pay discrepancies, taxes, or benefits deductions.
Run Dayforce Preview Register and Payroll Summary Reports for the entire pay group.
Reconcile payroll registers and validate accuracy before final processing.
Save all final payroll reports and General Ledger (GL) files in the appropriate folders.
Process all pay card requests submitted by payroll admins.
Monitor direct deposit (DD) returns and prenote failures, working with field locations to update employee profiles.
Track stale dated checks and work with admins to reissue payments via pay card or escheat tracker.
Review payroll for compliance with federal, state, and local tax regulations.
Identify and resolve payroll tax issues or reporting discrepancies.
Ensure adherence to company policies, labor laws, and union agreements where applicable.
Maintain and update payroll checklists to ensure timely processing.
Coordinate with payroll team to meet deadlines for payroll cycles, reporting, and audits.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to streamline payroll operations.
Support audits, special projects, and system upgrades related to payroll operations.
Implement enhancements to payroll processes, including automation and reporting improvements.