Senior Payroll Specialist

Stillwater Sciences•Berkeley, CA

7d•$85,000 - $105,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Stillwater Sciences is seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Specialist to join their Financial Accounting team. This role will be responsible for leading accurate, timely, and compliant multi-state payroll processing for approximately 150 employees across seven states. The specialist will also support payroll taxes, reconciliations, reporting, and internal controls. The ideal candidate will possess deep payroll expertise, strong attention to detail, and a commitment to operational excellence. This is a full-time, exempt position requiring 40 hours per week and is based out of their Berkeley or Sacramento office, with a preference for Berkeley.

Requirements

10+ years of payroll experience, including at least 5 years with California payroll requirements.
Strong knowledge of multi-state payroll, payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, and reconciliations.
High attention to detail, sound judgment, and discretion with confidential information.
Experience with payroll systems and reporting tools.
Experience with project/job costing and prevailing wage is a plus.
CPP certification and experience in consulting or professional services are preferred.

Nice To Haves

ADP and Deltek Vantagepoint experience is a plus.
Experience with project/job costing and prevailing wage is a plus.
CPP certification and experience in consulting or professional services are preferred.

Responsibilities

Own full-cycle, multi-state payroll processing for exempt and non-exempt employees.
Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and timely tax filings across jurisdictions.
Reconcile payroll-related accounts, deductions, and benefits information.
Support audits, reporting, and month-end and year-end payroll activities.
Help strengthen payroll systems, documentation, and internal processes.