Senior Payroll Specialist

Hugel Aesthetics•Irvine, CA

7d•$80,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Payroll Specialist will play a key role in payroll administration as well as the day-to-day operations of the Finance department at Hugel Aesthetics. This role encompasses critical finance and payroll responsibilities, including auditing and processing Hugel Aesthetics' bi-weekly, multi-state payroll, while also supporting core accounting & month end planning activities across the finance team. This role requires strong attention to detail, payroll knowledge, and the ability to manage recurring deadline-driven work alongside broader finance support responsibilities. This role will be a key partner to our HR, and G&A functions who support the broader organization, routinely collaborating on projects and process improvements. This role is well suited to a finance professional who is detail-oriented, organized, loves to learn and is comfortable managing a high volume of transactional work while maintaining a high level of confidentiality. This role is a hybrid onsite role, expected to be in the Irvine office 3-4 days per week.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field highly preferred, with 3-5 years of progressive experience in finance/and or accounting; or Associate’s degree in Accounting or Finance with 5+ years experience in finance/and or accounting.
Demonstrated experience with hands-on payroll processing or auditing experience.
Experience processing or auditing multi-state payroll, ideally in partnership with a third-party payroll administration provider (e.g., ADP, UKG, Paylocity, or similar).
Working knowledge of multi-state payroll tax, wage and hour compliance, and payroll accounting principles.
Solid foundational accounting knowledge, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and month-end close processes.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, summary formulas).
Experience working within an ERP or accounting system (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, or similar).
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage recurring deadline-driven payroll cycles alongside broader accounting responsibilities.
High degree of accuracy and attention to detail when working with sensitive payroll and financial data.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with HR, department leaders, and vendors.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality regarding payroll and compensation information.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word) and calendar scheduling tools.
Ability to work in an office environment, and sit, stand or use computer for extended period of time

Responsibilities

Audit and process bi-weekly payroll for employees across multiple states, in partnership with the company's external payroll administration provider.
Review payroll registers prior to finalization for accuracy of hours, earnings, bonuses/commissions, deductions, garnishments, and tax withholdings.
Partner with HR/payroll vendor for activities such as coordinating payroll calendars, resolving discrepancies, and escalating system or processing issues.
Monitor multi-state payroll tax compliance, including withholding requirements, new-state tax registrations, and jurisdictional setup, in coordination with the payroll vendor.
Process off-cycle payments, manual checks, retroactive pay adjustments, and payroll corrections as needed.
Reconcile payroll registers to the general ledger each pay cycle and research/resolve variances.
Prepare and post payroll-related journal entries and account reconciliations (payroll liabilities, benefits, accrued PTO, etc.).
Serve as the system administrator for our payroll system.
Maintain organized payroll records and supporting documentation to satisfy internal controls and audit requirements.
Support year-end payroll activities, including W-2 review, bonus processing, and payroll tax reconciliations.
Prepare and post journal entries and perform account reconciliations as part of the month-end and year-end close process.
Prepare and post the monthly and quarterly bonus accrual and post the sales commission accrual.
Assist with general ledger maintenance, including basic accruals, prepaids, and account analysis.
Support accounts payable and accounts receivable functions as needed.
Support internal and external audit requests by preparing reconciliations, pulling supporting documentation for auditor inquiries.
Identify and support process improvement opportunities within payroll and accounting workflows.
Serve as a first point of contact for finance questions related to payroll, bonus, and sales commissions.
Perform ad hoc financial analysis and other duties as assigned.