Payroll Specialist

We are looking for an experienced Payroll Specialist to support accurate and timely payroll operations for a dynamic organization in Austin, Texas. This contract-to-permanent opportunity is ideal for someone who can manage payroll activities with precision, maintain compliance across multiple jurisdictions, and provide responsive support to employees and internal stakeholders. The role requires strong attention to detail, confidence working with payroll systems and audits, and the ability to handle sensitive payroll matters with professionalism.

Responsibilities:

• Review timesheet, attendance, and HR change data to ensure payroll inputs are complete and correct before each processing cycle.
• Maintain employee payroll records by validating new employee details, separations, compensation updates, benefit deductions, garnishments, and direct deposit changes.
• Enter and update payroll information in the system with a high degree of accuracy and perform pre-payroll audits to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Process recurring payroll on the established semi-monthly schedule, verifying earnings, deductions, taxes, and net pay amounts prior to final submission.
• Compare payroll results against approved records and investigate unusual variances affecting hourly and non-exempt employee pay.
• Reconcile payroll registers, coordinate funding activities, and ensure electronic payments and live checks are issued correctly and on time.
• Prepare and submit payroll tax deposits and required filings, including quarterly and year-end reporting, while supporting compliance with multi-state payroll regulations.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting to reconcile payroll-related accounts, prepare payroll reporting, and support general ledger entry activities.
• Respond promptly to employee questions related to pay, tax withholding, deductions, garnishments, and direct deposit matters with accuracy and care.