Senior Associate, Payroll & Operations

World 50 Group•Atlanta, GA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an execution-focused, detail-oriented Senior Associate, Payroll & HR Operations to join our growing People & Culture (P&C) team in Atlanta. This role is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant execution of end-to-end semi-monthly payroll, as well as providing core operational, system administration, and generalist support across the full employee lifecycle. The ideal candidate brings a high level of discretion, strong data controls, a proactive mindset, and a passion for supporting associates and delivering a positive employee experience.

Requirements

5+ plus years of experience in payroll and/or HR operations with strong hands-on payroll experience
Obsession with detail orientation, organised and committed to get things right
Naturally focused on quality, controls and identifying issues before they become problems.
Comfortable working with payroll/HRIS systems, excel, data, reconciliations and reporting
Strong understanding of payroll processes, compliance and applicable employment requirements.
Able to manage confidential information, recurring deadlines and competing priorities with discretion and judgement.
A proactive problem solver who takes ownership and follows issue through to resolution
A clear and collaborative communicator who works effectively with Finance, HR, employees and external partners.

Responsibilities

Own and execute semi-monthly payroll for all US associates, accurately processing new hires, terminations, salary adjustments, deductions, variable pay, and benefits changes.
Maintain accurate documentation, audit trails, self-quality checks, catching errors before final review and ensuring final data integrity.
Coordinate pay for associates on leave (FMLA, short-term disability, parental leave).
Quality check of calculations, tracking, and approvals for monthly commissions and quarterly incentive payouts in alignment with Finance and Commercial Leaders.
Conduct routine payroll reconciliations, partner with Finance on commission entries/discrepancies, and support internal/external payroll audits with clean audit trails.
Ensure adherence to FLSA regulations and exempt/non-exempt classifications. Serve as the primary contact for employee inquiries regarding paystubs, withholdings, and pay adjustments.
Develop, standardize, and maintain SOPs and operational controls for HR and payroll workflows to increase efficiency and mitigate risk.
Generate payroll reports for finance/accounting teams and reconcile payroll ledger accounts.
Serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries and resolving payment discrepancies.
Maintain, review, and document Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and key internal controls for payroll workflows to reduce fraud and manual error.
Manage state and local payroll tax registrations, SIT/SUI compliance, tax rate adjustments, annual W-2 processing, and related tax agency correspondence.
Lead year-end readiness initiatives, including W-2/1099 verification, taxable fringe benefit adjustments (e.g., company cars, relocation, gifts), and bonus run preparation.
Maintain employee records, system setup, and data integrity in Rippling. Complete monthly audits and reporting for business partners and Operations.
Maintain payroll software configurations, review system integrations (HRIS, time/attendance, benefit admin portals), and troubleshoot data sync errors between systems.
Partner with Benefits/HR to ensure benefit deductions match actual carrier billings and handle catch-up contributions or manual adjustments.
Support seamless onboarding and offboarding activities. Assist with benefits administration (enrollment, 401(k), LOA, COBRA, ACA) and ensure changes sync properly with payroll.
Support compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws. Assist with general P&C initiatives from time to time.