Americas Payroll Operations Specialist (6 Month Contract)

Join Our Team!

Are you a detail-oriented payroll professional who enjoys solving complex problems, working with data, and delivering exceptional employee service? We're looking for a Payroll Analyst who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time. This role is located in Rocklin, CA and works a hybrid in-office schedule.

In this role, you'll be a trusted payroll expert responsible for end-to-end payroll processing, compliance, payroll analysis, and employee support. You'll collaborate across HR, Finance, Tax, Stock Administration, and external vendors while identifying opportunities to improve processes and enhance the employee experience.

If you're analytical, organized, customer-focused, and enjoy working with numbers and technology, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

As a Payroll Analyst, you'll play a key role in supporting payroll operations by ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining compliance with federal, state, provincial, and company policies.

Payroll Processing

• Process bi-weekly and semi-monthly payrolls with a high degree of accuracy. 
• Review, analyze, validate, and input payroll transactions. 
• Audit payroll data to ensure accuracy prior to payroll processing. 
• Process off-cycle payrolls and special payments as needed. 
• Reconcile payroll reports and resolve discrepancies. 

Employee Payroll Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries. 
• Research and resolve questions related to: 
  • Earnings  
  • Taxes  
  • Vacation balances 
  • Timecards  
  • Leave of Absence (LOA) 
  • Workers' Compensation 
  • Garnishments  
  • Payroll deductions 
• Provide outstanding customer service while maintaining confidentiality. 

Payroll Administration

• Process: 
  • Employee terminations 
  • Garnishments  
  • Leave of Absence (LOA) pay 
  • Overpayments and recovery processes 
  • Escheatment activities 
  • Withholding allowance certificates (W-4, TD1, TP1015.R.13.1-V1) 
  • Pay history requests 
  • Duplicate tax form requests (W-2, W-2PR, 499R2, T4, RL) 

Stock & Equity Processing

• Process daily stock compensation files including: 
  • ISO 
  • NQ 
  • RSU 
• Process monthly Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) equity transactions. 

Banking & Vendor Management

• Manage payroll banking activities including: 
  • ACH funding 
  • Check printing 
  • ACH rejections 
  • Stop payments 
• Reconcile payroll deductions. 
• Prepare and process vendor funding and wire transfers. 

Payroll Tax & Compliance

• Assist with: 
  • Monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reconciliations 
  • Workers' Compensation premium calculations 
  • Payroll tax reporting 
  • Tax notice research and resolution 
• Ensure compliance with: 
  • Federal  
  • State  
  • Provincial  
  • Local payroll regulations 
  • FLSA requirements 
  • Company payroll policies 

Reporting & Analytics

• Analyze payroll data to identify trends, discrepancies, and opportunities for improvement. 
• Create and maintain payroll reports using Excel and other reporting tools. 
• Perform payroll audits and reconciliations. 
• Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation and reports. 

Continuous Improvement

• Participate in payroll system implementations, upgrades, and testing. 
• Identify opportunities to streamline payroll processes and improve operational efficiency. 
• Document payroll procedures and best practices. 

• Cross-train with payroll team members and provide backup support as needed. 

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

• Previous payroll experience supporting high-volume payroll operations. 
• Strong knowledge of payroll processing and payroll compliance. 
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including: 
  • Pivot Tables 
  • VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP  
  • Data validation 
  • Formulas and reporting 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret large data sets. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail. 
• Ability to prioritize multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 
• Strong customer service mindset with the ability to handle sensitive information professionally. 
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with payroll systems such as Oracle, Workday, ADP, SAP, or UKG. 
• Expereince using Dayforce is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of multi-state and/or international payroll. 
• Experience supporting payroll audits. 
• Understanding of payroll tax regulations and compliance requirements. 
• Experience with equity compensation payroll (RSUs, ESPP, ISO, NQ). 

Key Competencies

• Payroll Processing 
• Payroll Compliance 
• Data Analytics 
• Excel Reporting 
• Payroll Reconciliation 
• Problem Solving 
• Process Improvement 
• Customer Service 
• Time Management 
• Attention to Detail 
• Communication 
• Confidentiality 

Why Join Us?

You'll be joining a collaborative team where your expertise directly impacts employees every payday. We value innovation, continuous improvement, and professional growth while providing opportunities to expand your payroll knowledge, improve processes, and develop your analytical skills.

If you're passionate about payroll, enjoy working with data, and want to make a meaningful impact, we'd love to meet you.

Career Level - IC2