Payroll Specialist

About Cox Farms

Cox Farms, which operates across North America, is part of the Cox Enterprises family of businesses and a pioneering leader in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry. Backed by Cox Enterprises’ long-standing commitment to building stronger businesses and a better world, Cox Farms is dedicated to revolutionizing food production through sustainable and innovative technology. Our cutting-edge facilities leverage advanced agronomic, production, and greenhouse systems to deliver fresh, high-quality produce to consumers year-round—minimizing environmental impact while maximizing resource efficiency.

Position Overview

The US Payroll Specialist is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of United States payroll, working with a moderate degree of independence within established procedures. This role executes the full US payroll cycle end to end — from data intake through post-processing support — and serves as a working-level resource on payroll systems and processes, escalating only complex, ambiguous, or policy-level issues to the Manager, Payroll. The Specialist partners closely with HR, Finance, operations, and payroll vendors to ensure employees are paid accurately and on time.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing

• Process biweekly (and, where applicable, weekly) US payroll end to end using ADP Workforce Now and Workforce Manager, ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery.
• Gather, review, and enter payroll changes submitted from multiple US locations and headquarters within established deadlines.
• Process temporary and hourly payroll submissions on a weekly basis, validating hours and pay inputs for accuracy.
• Enter and audit employee changes in ADP — including new hires, promotions, transfers, and terminations — and issue related employee change letters.
• Calculate and apply off-cycle payments, adjustments, and corrections as needed, following established approval procedures.
• Identify payroll discrepancies and resolve routine issues independently and quickly; escalate complex or unusual discrepancies to the Manager, Payroll with a clear summary and recommended resolution.
• Generate, review, and reconcile payroll General Ledger reports in ADP to ensure accurate financial reporting and month-end accounting processes.

Systems & Process Support

• Serve as a day-to-day point of contact for ADP system questions, troubleshooting issues raised by employees, HR, and operations before escalating.
• Create, update, and maintain ADP-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) and process documentation for the payroll function.
• Build, run, and validate standard payroll reports; support report configuration and testing for system updates.
• Create and maintain employee-facing request forms (e.g., JotForms) for payroll inquiries and resolve related questions.

Compliance & Recordkeeping

• Support compliance with applicable federal and state payroll regulations, including wage and hour rules, garnishments, and statutory deductions.
• Assist with year-end processes, including W-2 preparation and distribution support.
• Maintain accurate payroll records and documentation to support audits, filings, and government remittances.
• Apply established time-off, sick leave, and error-correction procedures consistently across employee payroll records.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with HR and Finance to ensure payroll data integrity across systems, including month-end support as needed.
• Act as a liaison between operations and other departments to resolve routine payroll and system issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and recommend enhancements to the Manager, Payroll.
• Contribute to team documentation and share working knowledge with colleagues to support consistent service delivery.

Performance Expectations

• US payroll is processed accurately, on time, and in compliance with applicable federal and state requirements across every pay cycle.
• Routine and moderately complex payroll issues are resolved using sound judgment and established procedures; complex or sensitive issues are escalated with a clear recommendation.
• Employee, HR, and cross-departmental payroll inquiries are handled promptly and with a customer-service mindset.
• Payroll records, reports, and documentation are complete, accurate, and audit-ready.
• SOPs and process documentation are kept current and support consistent execution.
• Operates with moderate autonomy on standard work, escalating ambiguous or policy-level matters to the Manager, Payroll rather than working through them alone.

Required Qualifications

• 1–3 years of experience in payroll processing or a related Total Rewards function, with direct exposure to US payroll.
• Working knowledge of US payroll fundamentals, including wage and hour rules, garnishments, and statutory deductions.
• Experience using ADP, Workday, or a comparable enterprise payroll system.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify and resolve data discrepancies.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage recurring deadlines and multiple priorities under general supervision.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and standard office systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting multi-location or multi-entity US payroll.
• Experience with ADP, Workday, or comparable enterprise payroll/HRIS platforms.
• Exposure to payroll year-end processes (e.g., W-2 preparation) and basic audit support.
• Familiarity with payroll SOP development and process documentation.

Culture & Values at Cox Farms

At Cox Farms, we live out our Rooted Together culture:
 Our Purpose, Vision & Mission 

• Purpose: Nourish the Planet 
• Vision: To be the most trusted partner in food 
• Mission: Delivering the world a reliable supply of healthy and sustainable food powered by our people 
• Anthem: The Future of Food Grows Here

Our Core Values
At Cox Farms, our culture is Rooted Together. We live our values every day: 

• Growth & Innovation – Always learning, improving, and finding better ways 
• Responsibility (Ownership & Accountability) – Own results, act like owners 
• Open & Honest (Transparency, Trust, Speaking Up) – We build trust through clarity, candor, and courage 
• We Before Me (Collaboration, Care, Service) – Support our people, our partners, our communities, and the consumers we serve 
• Safety – Safety in everything we do

Employment Notice

This role will support all Cox Farms businesses. The employer for this role is BrightFarms Inc. and is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

For roles based in the United States: Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for employer sponsorship. For roles based in Canada: applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada.