Payroll Specialist

Location: Timberlake, NC
Schedule: Full-time | Non-Exempt

About the Role

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for supporting the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of payroll for the company’s US workforce. This position reviews timekeeping records, employee changes, deductions, overtime, bonuses, commissions, and other payroll inputs to ensure payroll data is complete and accurate before processing.

The Payroll Specialist works closely with Human Resources, Finance, managers, employees, and the company’s payroll provider to resolve discrepancies, maintain payroll records, support reconciliations and audits, and respond to employee payroll questions.

As the organization grows, this position will play an important role in strengthening payroll controls, standardizing processes, improving data accuracy, and supporting an expanding manufacturing and professional workforce.

What You’ll Do

Payroll Processing

• Support biweekly payroll processing for hourly and salaried employees.
• Review payroll inputs for accuracy and completeness before payroll submission.
• Verify regular hours, overtime, PTO, holiday pay, shift-related pay, bonuses, commissions, and other applicable earnings.
• Review employee deductions, garnishments, benefit deductions, and other authorized payroll adjustments.
• Process approved compensation, position, department, and employment-status changes.
• Identify payroll discrepancies and coordinate corrections before payroll is finalized.
• Assist with off-cycle payroll and payroll corrections when required.
• Maintain established payroll processing schedules and deadlines.

Timekeeping Administration

• Review employee timecards for missing punches, incomplete approvals, incorrect hours, and other discrepancies.
• Coordinate with supervisors and managers to resolve timekeeping issues before payroll deadlines.
• Verify approved overtime and paid-time-off entries.
• Monitor compliance with company timekeeping procedures.
• Maintain documentation supporting payroll and timekeeping adjustments.

Payroll Reconciliation & Controls

• Perform pre- and post-payroll reviews and reconciliations.
• Compare payroll changes against approved personnel actions and supporting documentation.
• Review payroll reports for unusual or inconsistent transactions.
• Maintain payroll checklists and supporting documentation.
• Assist with internal and external payroll audits.
• Identify recurring payroll errors and recommend process improvements.

Employee Support

• Respond to employee questions regarding paychecks, deductions, taxes, direct deposit, timekeeping, and payroll processes.
• Research payroll discrepancies and communicate resolutions to employees.
• Assist employees with payroll-related forms and system navigation.
• Escalate complex payroll, tax, wage-and-hour, or benefits matters as appropriate.

Payroll Records & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and confidential payroll records.
• Prepare routine payroll reports for HR and Finance.
• Assist with payroll-related data requests, audits, and reconciliations.
• Support year-end payroll activities, including review of employee information and tax documentation.
• Maintain appropriate documentation in accordance with company record-retention requirements.

HR & Finance Coordination

• Partner with HR to ensure new hires, terminations, promotions, transfers, compensation changes, and other personnel actions are accurately reflected in payroll.
• Coordinate with Finance regarding payroll funding, reconciliations, reporting, and general ledger-related payroll information.
• Work with the payroll provider to resolve processing or system issues.
• Support payroll-related testing and implementation of system or process changes.

Compliance

• Support payroll compliance with applicable federal, state, and local wage-and-hour requirements.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee compensation, payroll, tax, and personal information.
• Follow established authorization and approval requirements for payroll changes.
• Escalate potential wage-and-hour, deduction, overtime, or payroll compliance concerns to HR leadership.

What We’re Looking For

• Associate degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent payroll experience may be considered in place of formal education.
• Minimum of 4 years of payroll processing experience required.
• Experience processing payroll for both hourly and salaried employees required.
• Experience supporting a manufacturing, high-volume, or multi-shift workforce strongly preferred.
• Experience with payroll/HRIS and timekeeping systems required.
• Experience with payroll reconciliations, audits, deductions, overtime, bonuses, commissions, and payroll corrections preferred.
• Working knowledge of federal and state wage-and-hour and payroll requirements.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll is preferred.
• Working knowledge of payroll and timekeeping practices.
• Understanding of overtime, deductions, payroll taxes, and wage-and-hour requirements.
• Strong attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
• Ability to identify discrepancies and research payroll issues.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to meet strict payroll deadlines.
• Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
• Experience with payroll, HRIS, and timekeeping systems.
• Ability to handle confidential employee and compensation information with discretion.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with employees, supervisors, HR, Finance, and external payroll providers.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced and growing organization.

Additional Information

• Primarily office-based within a manufacturing environment.
• Regular interaction with manufacturing employees, supervisors, managers, HR, and Finance.
• May require additional availability during payroll processing, year-end activities, audits, or other critical payroll periods.
• Must maintain a high degree of confidentiality regarding employee, payroll, compensation, and company information.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. The Company will not sponsor or take over sponsorship of any employment visa, including without limitation, H-1B, O-1, E-3, TN status, or I-485 job portability or similar immigration processes.