Prevailing Wage Payroll Specialist

New Opportunity Alert! Be a Key Player in Our Growing Payroll Team!

Location: On-site in Ankeny, IA

We’re expanding, and we need YOU to help shape our future! We’re looking for a Prevailing Wage Payroll Specialist to join our HR team in Ankeny, IA. This is a staff addition role to our expanding team—perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and wants to make an immediate impact. If you love HR, payroll, and people, this is your chance to take on a challenging yet rewarding career with an employee-owned company that values your skills and growth.

What You'll Do:

• Set up prevailing wage jobs, including reviewing wage determinations, assigning job codes, and aligning worker classifications with project requirements
• Process and audit weekly payroll, ensuring accurate wage rates, proper fringe benefit allocations, and correct overtime calculations
• Prepare and submit certified payroll reports in compliance with federal, state, and client requirements; review subcontractor submissions for accuracy and completeness
• Maintain organized, audit-ready records including timesheets, wage determinations, fringe calculations, and certified payroll documentation
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies by partnering with employees, supervisors, and project teams to ensure timely and accurate corrections
• Serve as the primary point of contact for prevailing wage payroll questions and compliance-related inquiries
• Collaborate with Project Managers, HR, and Accounting to support job setup, payroll accuracy, and alignment with job costing
• Attend project kickoff or pre-construction meetings to understand labor requirements and compliance expectations
• Communicate with contractors, subcontractors, and clients to resolve payroll and reporting issues and ensure compliance
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll and reporting processes and support internal training as needed

What We're Looking For:

• A two-year degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of experience in HR and/or payroll.
• Payroll certification is preferred or must pursue within 12 months of employment.
• Tech-savvy with Microsoft Office and HRIS/HCM systems (bonus points for ADP Workforce Now experience).
• Strong knowledge of HR and payroll policies, best practices, and wage/hour compliance.
• Knowledge of union/collective bargained payroll, job costing and other construction-related concepts preferred.
• Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Must be a highly collaborative individual used to working in a dynamic team environment under deadlines and defined processing schedules.
• Process improvement and detail oriented, don’t be afraid to tell us your ideas!
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive data with discretion.

Why Join Us?

• Career Growth: Be part of a growing company where your role and input truly matters.
• Impact: Play a key role in supporting our team, advancing company culture and earning a sense of accomplishment.
• Work Environment: Collaborative, engaging, and supportive.
• Challenging: Consistently pushed to grow, problem solve, and collaborate.
• Learning and Development: Supporting opportunities for skill development, training and professional growth are common at Baker Group, including Payroll Congress, local SHRM conferences, ADP user conferences, and others.
• Competitive Pay & Benefits: Because we believe in rewarding great work!

Ready to take your Prevailing Wage expertise to the next level? Apply today and be part of something great!

Baker Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Baker Group will consider reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with the Employer.