Prevailing Wage Payroll Specialist

Baker Group • Ankeny, IA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

New Opportunity Alert! Be a Key Player in Our Growing Payroll Team!

Location: On-site in Ankeny, IA

We’re expanding, and we need YOU to help shape our future! We’re looking for a Prevailing Wage Payroll Specialist to join our HR team in Ankeny, IA. This is a staff addition role to our expanding team—perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and wants to make an immediate impact. If you love HR, payroll, and people, this is your chance to take on a challenging yet rewarding career with an employee-owned company that values your skills and growth.

Requirements

• A two-year degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of experience in HR and/or payroll.
• Payroll certification is preferred or must pursue within 12 months of employment.
• Tech-savvy with Microsoft Office and HRIS/HCM systems (bonus points for ADP Workforce Now experience).
• Strong knowledge of HR and payroll policies, best practices, and wage/hour compliance.
• Knowledge of union/collective bargained payroll, job costing and other construction-related concepts preferred.
• Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Must be a highly collaborative individual used to working in a dynamic team environment under deadlines and defined processing schedules.
• Process improvement and detail oriented, don’t be afraid to tell us your ideas!
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive data with discretion.

Nice To Haves

• ADP Workforce Now experience
• Knowledge of union/collective bargained payroll, job costing and other construction-related concepts

Responsibilities

• Set up prevailing wage jobs, including reviewing wage determinations, assigning job codes, and aligning worker classifications with project requirements
• Process and audit weekly payroll, ensuring accurate wage rates, proper fringe benefit allocations, and correct overtime calculations
• Prepare and submit certified payroll reports in compliance with federal, state, and client requirements; review subcontractor submissions for accuracy and completeness
• Maintain organized, audit-ready records including timesheets, wage determinations, fringe calculations, and certified payroll documentation
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies by partnering with employees, supervisors, and project teams to ensure timely and accurate corrections
• Serve as the primary point of contact for prevailing wage payroll questions and compliance-related inquiries
• Collaborate with Project Managers, HR, and Accounting to support job setup, payroll accuracy, and alignment with job costing
• Attend project kickoff or pre-construction meetings to understand labor requirements and compliance expectations
• Communicate with contractors, subcontractors, and clients to resolve payroll and reporting issues and ensure compliance
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll and reporting processes and support internal training as needed

Benefits

• Career Growth
• Impact
• Work Environment: Collaborative, engaging, and supportive.
• Challenging: Consistently pushed to grow, problem solve, and collaborate.
• Learning and Development: Supporting opportunities for skill development, training and professional growth are common at Baker Group, including Payroll Congress, local SHRM conferences, ADP user conferences, and others.
• Competitive Pay & Benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree