Payroll Specialist

Come join a leader in Protective Foam Solutions! At Alleguard, we’re built from the ground up to expand and shape our customer’s businesses. We understand the diversity of challenges that customers are facing across different industries, from confidence in their supply chain to needing the latest innovations at their fingertips. These challenges are also opportunities, and whether our customers are in construction, protective packaging, cold-chain or other industries, we are relentless in seeing around corners, and going the extra mile to help their business succeed.

Position: Payroll Specialist

Location: Brentwood, TN (Corporate Office) - Onsite

Scope: Approx. 1,000 employees (approx. 700 hourly, 300 salaried) across 4 pay groups; weekly and biweekly cycles

Systems: UKG Pro (HRIS/payroll) and UKG Pro Workforce Management (Pro WFM) for time and attendance

Job Summary

Alleguard is seeking a Payroll Specialist to own end-to-end payroll processing across our 16 manufacturing plants in the United States and Canada. Partnering closely with HR and Finance, the Payroll Specialist ensures accurate payments, timely approvals, reliable reporting, and supports quarter-end and year-end tax processing.

This role runs a recurring, multi-cycle payroll calendar with minimal supervision. It is well suited to a self-directed professional with exceptional attention to detail who manages deadlines independently, handles sensitive employee and compensation data with strict confidentiality, and exercises sound judgment about when to escalate.

Responsibilities

Payroll Processing and Accuracy

• Process weekly and biweekly payrolls across all assigned pay groups in UKG Pro.
• Balance payroll hours against UKG Pro WFM timecards to confirm data is complete and accurate before submission. 
• Compare week-over-week hours and payroll dollars, research variances of 10% or more, and resolve discrepancies before final approval.
• Review payroll hours and dollars against budget and notify plant managers of overages of 10% or more.
• Prepare payroll for final manager approval and once approved and submitted, provide the required details to Accounting. 
• Audit payroll transactions for accuracy and compliance with internal and external policies.
• Process employee status changes, including new hires, terminations, transfers, promotions, in partnership with HR.
• Coordinate with HR and Accounting to verify employee data and accounts. 
• Research and resolve payroll issues and employee inquiries.

Reporting, Reconciliation, and Tax Support

• Balance weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports against payment-services data to support accurate records and smoother quarter-end and year-end tax processing. 
• Prepare weekly, biweekly, monthly, and annual reports summarizing earnings, taxes, deductions, leave, disability, and non-taxable wages.
• Partner with Finance to prepare detailed payroll reports and analyses as requested and maintain detailed records for audit. 
• Support U.S. year-end (W-2) and Canadian year-end (T4, RL-1) processing.

New Hire and Compliance Support

• Track new hires to confirm required payroll paperwork is received and send benefit-related communications to new hires.
• Direct new hires to the appropriate resources and contacts for benefits enrollment, including enrollment steps, timelines, and required documentation, referring plan-selection questions to HR.
• Maintain compliance with company policy and applicable U.S. and Canadian regulations, including U.S. garnishment orders, multi-state tax rules, and Canadian obligations (Records of Employment, CRA, and Revenu Québec remittances, EI/CPP).

Manager, Supervisor, and HR Support

• Partner with supervisors, plant managers, and HR business partners across U.S. and Canadian sites to ensure timecards are accurate, approved on time, and supported through troubleshooting when issues arise.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of payroll processing experience, or equivalent payroll / accounting experience. 
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, or finance, or equivalent payroll experience. 
• Hands-on experience processing multi-state U.S. and Canadian payroll. 
• Hands-on experience with UKG Pro and UKG Pro Workforce Management (Pro WFM), formerly UKG Dimensions / Kronos Workforce Dimensions. 
• Working knowledge of U.S. garnishment rules and federal, state, and Canadian payroll regulations. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (including VLOOKUP and pivot tables) and the broader Microsoft Office suite. 
• Exceptional attention to detail, strong organization, and the ability to manage a recurring payroll calendar independently with minimal supervision. 
• Proven discretion in handling highly confidential and sensitive employee, compensation, and payroll data. Maintaining strict confidentiality is an essential requirement of this role. 
• Strong math and analytical skills, with clear written and verbal communication, including explaining variances and budget overages to plant leadership. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) from PayrollOrg. 
• Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) from the National Payroll Institute, given Canadian payroll responsibilities. 
• Experience with acquisitions and employee integration. 
• Manufacturing or multi-site payroll experience.