Sr. Payroll Specialist

Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay•Virginia Beach, VA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Finance Department is an essential partner in supporting the residents, team members, and mission of our organization. We foster a collaborative and service-oriented environment where accuracy, integrity, and teamwork are valued. Our team is dedicated to responsible financial stewardship that helps create a thriving community for those we serve. The Sr. Payroll Specialist is a key contributor responsible for the accurate and timely payroll administration for a complex Life Plan Community, ensuring compliance with all federal and state regulations. This role extends beyond routine processing to include system management, advanced reconciliation, and serving as the primary liaison for payroll-related projects and external vendor partnerships (e.g., UKG/Sability). The Specialist models our core values of respect, passion, and professionalism, and holds others accountable for doing the same.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field
5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including complex or multi-state payroll processing.
Extensive experience with ERP software and experience processing wage attachments.
Must be able to perform advanced payroll calculations.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite (advanced Excel and Sheets skills for reporting and analysis)

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Certified Payroll Specialist (CPS) certification
Direct experience with UKG payroll system administration and vendor management
Demonstrated experience in a Life Plan Community, Senior Living, or Healthcare environment is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage the end-to-end bi-weekly payroll cycle for all employees, verifying information for accuracy and completeness.
Perform comprehensive timesheet audits, identifying and resolving missed punches, duplicate payments, and other timekeeping errors.
Process and manage all complex earnings, deductions, and wage attachments, including tax levies, state/city liens, and child support orders.
Ensure the accuracy of payroll by balancing key totals to supporting documentation and reconciling reports.
Coordinate and validate all Leave Payouts (LPOs) and calculate retroactive payroll payments as required.
Serve as the primary payroll system administrator and technical liaison for external vendors (e.g., UKG, Sability), assisting with system updates, optimization, and major transitions like banking or payment services.
Monitor and respond to payroll inquiries from employees and supervisors in a timely and confidential manner, resolving complex payroll issues.
Maintain strict compliance with federal and state payroll laws/regulations, ensuring accurate reporting and internal policy adherence.
Generate detailed payroll reports relating to hours, earnings, deductions, and processing accuracy for management review.
Ensure proper internal control over sensitive payroll assets like check stock, signatures, and distribution.
Verify new hire status and review checklist consistency for payroll integration.
All other duties as assigned.